For Truth, Justice And The Last Cup Of BA's Coffee
by RogueFanKC
Summary: Set in Red Witch's Misfitverse! The Misfits and XMen team up with the Teen Titans and Titans East as the Hellfire Club plots to end the world, but can Raven truly survive the horror of her heritage before it is too late? Complete
1. No Reason To Celebrate

**Author's note: I do not own any characters or stories regarding the X-Men, G.I. Joe, or the Teen Titans. They are the respective properties of Marvel Comics, Sunbow Entertainment and Hasbro, and DC Comics. Jake Clawson/Razor is the property of Hanna-Barbera's creation, the SWAT Kats. All characters regarding the Misfit-universe, including Althea, Xi, Blind Master, Trinity, and Lina is property of the brilliant and talented authoress, Red Witch, who has graciously lent her universe for me to write about (thanks again, RW!). I do own the OC, Justin Moore/Whitelighter and I am in no way here to make money of this fanfic, so please for the love of God, don't sue me! That said, enjoy this anticipated crossover with the Teen Titans appropriately called…**

**For Truth, Justice, And The Last Cup Of B.A's Coffee**

**CHAPTER 1: No Reason To Celebrate**

"Hello?"

Silence. Only the stifling darkness, slightly burdened with dust and the echo of her voice wafted down the foreboding hallway. Raven started to grow nervous and anxious as she tried again, clutching the banister as she inched her way down the stairs and into the tunnel of darkness. Her knuckles were white as the telekinetic griped the stairway railing like a drowning victim clutches a life preserver. Still, she tried again.

"Hello? Is…is anyone there?"

Still no answer. The caverns and tunnels were as silent as death. Though she could have easily scanned for mental signatures and presences or could have simply pressed on the light switch that would have activated the lamps…Raven felt…scared.

She was no fool. She knew what today was. She knew why she dreaded it. And she knew, without a doubt, what her friends would think of her if they found out. **If** they found out. But then if this day was truly unavoidable, if the legends of fate were accurate, then could it explain why…?

Raven's mouth was dry, and not even her stoic resolution to remain emotionless could quell the alarm and trepidation that was starting to creep within her. Ever since her vision, ever since that night, when she suddenly came into acknowledgment about the Gathering of Twilight, so soon before the eve of "that day", she prayed, hoped even (a fool's hope), that it was simply a happenstance, a false alarm, a divination of what _could_ come, but wouldn't.

Still, as the door to the operations center slid open for the cloaked girl to walk warily into the dim and dark chamber, Raven bit back a whimper as she saw the main center and facility of the Titan Tower, cold, shadowy, and not a single soul there. This was almost exactly like the time when the Titans watched the movie, "Wicked Scary", and Raven's powers left her temporarily to physically manifest as her worst fears and monsters. And this was all too close for comfort, being exactly in this exact situation.

Yet before Raven could even call again or perhaps contemplate what to do if she truly was alone and defenseless, Fate dealt a blow, the most cruelest joke of the universe in her opinion as the lights suddenly switched on and the figures pounced out to strike…

"What!" yelped Raven as the figures launch themselves into her line of fire.

"**SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAVEN!**" chorused the Teen Titans and the Teen Titans East as they came out with wrapped gifts, party favors, and a gigantic chocolate cake. Mas y Menos, the two twin Hispanic midget speedsters, just simultaneously roared the same sentiment as "_Feliz Cumpleaños, Senorita Raven!_"

The youths and adolescents expected Raven to gasp and smile, taken aback by their generous and caring bombshell. They expected her to giggle and say "thank you". They even expected Raven to remain deadpanned and say they didn't need to go through so much trouble for her sake, but still blush like other girls and enjoy the festivities (and this one was the most popular guess from those who knew Raven the best).

Yet what they didn't expect was for Raven to scream shrilly enough for their hair to stand on their ends before ducking back through the doorway and out of sight. The other nine teens just blinked, astonished and perhaps even a bit deflated if not offended.

"Um…Raven?" asked Cyborg in his deep yet playful voice, the hulking African American teenager still holding the gigantic tray carrying the eight-layer cake he baked himself with finesse and flourish and enough sugar to rot their teeth in minutes. And frankly, the pastry was starting to feel kind of heavy.

"We _did_ get the right day, right?" Bumblebee asked, her eyebrows crinkled with confusion and her red lips formed into a small pout of perplexity, "I mean, today _is_ her birthday, right?"

"Maybe today is her time of the month. Could explain why Raven's suddenly so screwy," commented Speedy, the red-haired archer, his face slightly amused at the hilarity of the situation. The other Titans (especially Bumblebee and Aqualad) gave the member of Titan East a deadpanned glare.

"Once again, Speedy, you show the sensitivity and thoughtfulness of a brain-dead ox," Bumblebee groaned, fighting the urge to slap Speedy upside the head.

"I'll have to disagree with that one. Oxen are usually smarter," quipped Aqualad, his violet eyes sneering alongside the leer on his face. He never once missed a chance to make a shot at his teammate whenever possible. Speedy felt a vein slightly throb in his temple from the barb as he smiled dangerously at his teammate.

"Hey Aqua-Sissie, wanna see how far I can jam a noisemaker down your throat or should I try shoving it through your other end?"

"I'll be glad to back up anything I say with my fists anytime, Speed-Twerp," Aqualad challenged with a glint in his eye. It was pretty common knowledge that Speedy and Aqualad didn't get along very often (a testament of their rivalry and/or friendship), and both of their conflicting egos and lifestyles made them brawl worse than cats and dogs, both verbally and physically.

"Pretty boy," returned the archer.

"Dingbat."

"Sea-cow reject!"

"Green Arrow poser!"

"**_Jackass!_**"

"**_Jerkface!_**"

"_Enough_, **both** of you," said Bumblebee in a final tone as she pushed her way in between them, wishing she brought aspirin for her budding migraine along with her present to Raven. Starfire, her long brown hair cascading down her slim, orange shoulders, then tried to explain gracefully with her cheery voice at the spot where Raven once was, hoping her friend could overhear her.

"Raven…it is merely us, your friends, with warm wishes for the day of your birth," she coaxed gently, unsure why Raven would be so scared.

"I told you a surprise party was a bad idea," Robin harrumphed flatly, crossing his arms over his chest, frowning slightly behind his mask. Considering Raven wasn't very sentimental, he could easily surmise that this wasn't the best of ways to show how they cared.

It was then that a circle of the familiar, dark aura swirled slightly behind Beast Boy before Raven then rose from the floor, startling some of them and most of all, Beast Boy. Beast Boy then found himself subjected under the stern glare of the gray-skinned witch, her teeth bared in a snarl. Beast Boy grinned weakly, sweating.

"How did you know it was my birthday?" Raven hissed through gritted teeth.

The green-skinned animorph then grinned widely, obviously proud of his part in this (and Raven made a mental note to kill him later when there were no witnesses) as he exclaimed with glee, "Well, um…remember last night, after we fought against Dr. Light, how you made that big deal about tomorrow? Well, we started wondering what tomorrow was so we did some snooping."

"'_**WE** did some snooping_'" chorused the other Titans in outrage and gall as they all shot the green mutant a death glare. Beast Boy winced and meekly offered an apologetic smile as he then corrected his mistake.

"OK, OK, **I** did some snooping. And I sorta found a restricted file in the off-limits area of the Titans' computer that kind of had your birthday on it."

Raven felt her irritation grow as her eye twitched ever so slightly. Of all the idiotic, stupid, inconsiderate - ! Forget the killing; she would torture Garfield as slowly and excruciatingly as possible once this night was over. Starfire then jumped in, blithely exuberant.

"And we have been preparing for your celebration ever since!" she exclaimed holding up Silkie, the mutated worm, "We have even called friends Titans East to join us on this occasion of festivities! Even Silkie wishes to give you great tidings of much thanks for this glorious day!"

Silkie squealed and gurgled on cue, drooling some strands of green slime from his mouth.

"Yes, Miss Raven! We would never miss the opportunity to celebrate a party!" chorused Mad y Menos, but since they spoke in Spanish, their words were lost on the crowd as most of them could barely understand the two hyperactive children. Beast Boy then flung out his arms in a dramatic pose, indicating the numerous balloons, paper streamers, party favors, confetti, the banquet table spread, the four video game consoles attached to the wide screen monitor, the banner declaring "HAPPY BIRTHDAY".

"We put up tons of decorations!" Beast Boy said.

"And we brought presents! C'mon girl, don't tell me getting a truckload of presents doesn't make you very happy! And we've got a huge feast for us to pig out on!" Aqualad offered, holding up two wrapped gifts for Raven.

"We even got shrimp and fish sticks!" grinned Speedy sadistically afterwards, holding up a tray of said treats, which earned him an incredible glare of hate and offended anger from Aqualad.

Cyborg held up his masterpiece as he bragged, "And I baked my famous eight-layer cake with three kinds of frosting!"

Starfire then joined in as she presented to Raven an odd sculpture made entirely of edible meat, cheering, "And I have assembled for you a traditional Tamaranean thorknar! The crown of meat!"

Raven looked repulsed, and Robin was starting to become concerned; he could tell just from her body language alone that she did not want any of this, that this was very uncomfortable for their friend. He stepped forward, concern mixed with his usual serious demeanor.

The human vigilante then said to Raven, "I hope this is OK. We just - "

However, Raven coldly, her voice artic and at absolute zero, cut across Robin and her teammates, "No, it's not. It's not OK."

There was just a stunned silence as the members of the Teen Titans and the Titans East just stared at Raven's back. Raven felt her temper and frustration rise a bit as she then whirled around to face the nine members plus Silkie.

"Look," Raven said in a hard voice, "I really appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I'm not interested."

With that said, Raven started to stride away from the party and back towards the doorway entrance of the operations, leaving the guests and friends confused and speechless.

"So…is that a no?" Aqualad asked, whispering to Bumblebee and Speedy. Speedy didn't look at all that disappointed, actually.

"Oh well…too bad, looks like I'm just gonna have to enjoy the new X-BOX that Raven passed up," Speedy said without much remorse and tragedy as he gleefully hugged one of the wrapped presents they bought for the Teen Titan, but with an annoyed grunt, Bumblebee yanked on Speedy's ear painfully, causing him to squeal and wince.

"Nice try, Speedy, but you're going to be giving that X-BOX to Raven as originally planned…**or else**," she hissed, giving the archer's ear a nice twist to establish her point. As reckless and foolhardy as he was, Speedy didn't want to tempt fate by finding out what the "or else" part was.

Starfire made an attempt to stop Raven.

The orange-skinned alien then said, trying to appease and appeal, "But…but there will be music and the iced cream and a strange game that will involve pins and the behind of a donkey."

Cyborg then grinned a childish smile of glee as he held up a cardboard effigy of Beast Boy, chock-full of candy, along with a wooden slugger baseball bat as he bragged, "We got a piñata shaped like Beast Boy. C'mon, you know you want to smack it."

As tempting as that sounded, Raven didn't want to stay for the party even if they offered her the baseball bat to smack _Beast Boy_ with (though she did file that idea later). The green-skinned mutant then tried one last time, pleading like a child, "Come on, Raven, I know you hate fun but it's your birthday. It's special. You can't let this day end without - !"

It was then that Raven had enough. Her temper, her frustration, her fear was now madly at its highest boiling point, and the emotions were so massive that she was surprised she wouldn't have given in to her dark side by now, but as a result, her powers freely exploded and discharged from her writhing, inner torment.

"**_NO!_**" she snarled, and immediately, the room was thrown into chaos.

With a series of pops and bangs, each and every one of the helium-filled balloons burst before lifelessly dropping to the floor. The banner reading "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" was immediately ripped to shreds by the dark shadows that converged onto it like piranhas to fresh meat, the various forces of Raven's perturbed mind wanting to erase the paradoxical statement completely from reality. At the same time, all the food, the food the Teen Titans and the Titans East took great care to prepare and order and fix up in an elegant banquet, was despoiled as the aura of telekinesis rendered it all to mush and rancid remains. Not even Mas y Menos would have wanted to try eating the gray and dark matter that had once been tantalizing finger foods, drinks, and cake. Raven cast a look at her friends before she left the operations center. Beast Boy looked hurt. Starfire was staring at Raven with wide eyes of confusion…and troubled concern. Cyborg silently gazed at Raven with fear, as if she was a monster (and she knew that had he known the real truth, he probably would think of her that way). The Titans East, now holding the remains of the presents they bought, actually looked at bit scandalized and annoyed at such brashness as they frowned at the telekinetic with slight outrage. Robin looked as stoic as ever.

Without a word, Raven pushed her way through the crowd and left. There was just a few moments of silence, with no one being able to say the right words to describe or appease the moment. Then Beast Boy, in his typical fashion, opened his big mouth.

"I told you a surprise party would be a bad idea," Beast Boy mimicked Robin mockingly.

"Shut up, Beast Boy," all the other members of the Teen Titans and the Titans East chorused, annoyed. Except for Mas y Menos. They just said the same thing in Spanish.

---

"I thank you all, students and faculty of H.I.V.E., for coming to this engagement," spoke the stern Headmistress of H.I.V.E. at the podium in front of the audience of fifteen-hundred students and future villains. The Headmistress hadn't been seen since Brother Blood had taken over the academy, but now that the latter Headmaster had been ousted, disgraced, and captured by the proper authorities, she had returned as mysteriously as she had disappeared. Her solemn, narrowed gray eyes and gray hair wrapped tightly into a no-nonsense bun gave her a look of stern influence and detached, composed dignity along with her cream-colored business suit and skirt. It was as if she had never left.

All around, the students where nervously whispering to themselves with hushed, excited gossip, pleasantly surprised that their old governess was back again. It was clear that not one of the H.I.V.E. apprentices missed Brother Blood and his reign of terror greatly, especially since he used his techniques of brainwashing and mind-control to rob them of whatever fun and freedom they had. Plus, they could all get away with more shenanigans considering the Headmistress was more lenient and moderate than the former sadistic fanatic.

"Wow, can you believe it? The Headmistress is back! And just when we thought she bought it once Brother Blood tried being the Headmaster!" squealed Selinda Flinders next to her best friend, Jinx. She was a skinny wisp of a girl, small, almost mousy, with a short, messy crop of red hair curling over her head. Out of all the students, Jinx could secretly admit that she enjoyed being in Selinda's company. Selinda was friendly, accepting, exuberant, and it was hard not to smile with her endless enthusiasm and cheerful personality. In a weird way, she was almost like the Titan, Starfire, down to a tee. Even Gizmo wasn't as brash and caustic with her, especially considering that Mammoth spread the word that anyone who was stupid enough to make Selinda cry would wind up with several broken bones and a fractured skull. For Selinda was Mammoth's younger sister.

The said hulking, red-haired behemoth just scoffed, smirking brotherly, as he messily tussled Selinda's hair, mock growling, "Hey, keep a lid on it, squirt! You could give all of us cavities if you don't cork it! Though I have to admit, it'll be a real welcome to have the Headmistress over that jerk, Blood, any day of the week!"

The dwarf boy-genius named Gizmo, clad in his green leather uniform and goggles, just made a noise that sounded like a derisive laugh as he grumbled, "Like having the starched, dog-faced she-giraffe is much better. She didn't exactly come running to our defense when we tangled with the Titans and lost to those pit-sniffers for the first time. I remember all the jacked-up detentions we had to do once we got bailed out of jail and got demoted from top of the class to the rest of these loser carpet-scuffers here."

The pink-haired witch named Jinx brashly cut her friend short as she hissed, "Shut it, Gizmo, I want to listen!"

The Headmistress then continued, her voice carrying seriously across the packed auditorium of scholars and educationalists, "Since H.I.V.E. was given generous grants by well-off and financially sound backers ever since the downfall of our status from Brother Blood, the Board and I have personally decided to submit the academy to a major reconstruction of the hierarchy and chain of command, effective immediately. First, let me warn you, my young future adversaries and master villains of heroes of this world: **we are at war**, pure and simple. Time and time again, our beloved institution of H.I.V.E. has been ridiculed and subjected to loss and desecration from our opponents and Earth's heroes, lowering our good name and standing and threatening the purpose and dream of H.I.V.E. academy! These are beings we should have triumphed easily over, but instead, we find ourselves insufficient and lacking in both training and cunning as we are beaten and subjugated numerous times with no future endeavor being any better than the previous! The Teen Titans, the Justice League, the Slayers, the Wyvern Gargoyles of New York, the Mighty Ducks, the Ghostbusters…all of these sickeningly noble groups as well as Brother Blood's downfall has shown us that we will not tolerate losses and embarrassments any longer from our defeats! If we are to succeed and maintain our legacy of future crime-lords and villainy, we must do whatever it takes! Which is why I am pleased to announce that we have new teaching assistants to aid us with our classes! Fellow students, welcome your superiors and student mentors…**_the Hellions!_**" **(Author's notes)**

"**_WHAT?_**" the audience chorused in disbelief.

The students gasped and murmured themselves and to each other with nervousness, anxiety and contempt as they and the instructors eyed the seven mutant teenagers up along the stage, standing side by side with the Headmistress of H.I.V.E., wearing smug, superior smiles in their Gucci and Banana Republic clothing, each of them wearing stylish outfits that had to range in costs of at least in the hundreds.

"Who are they?" asked Jinx with a frown as she eyed Bevatron, Monet, Beef, Tarot, Jetstream, Roulette and Empath with suspicion. Gizmo narrowed his beady little eyes.

"I've heard of these nose-pickers. They're some elitist mutant team, really prep-school and the like and they're rumored to have come from really snotty and filthy rich snobs of families. And these butt-munchers aren't pushovers and weaklings like the Teen Titans are! These stuck-ups are supposed to be really powerful," he said in a hard voice at last. Like the other H.I.V.E. students, he didn't take too kindly to newcomers.

"_How_ powerful?" Jinx asked.

"They're probably in the same league and level with that sourpuss, Magneto and his pond-scum sucking Acolytes."

"Yeesh, that **is** bad," grumbled Mammoth as he sent a poisonous glare at the Hellion, Beef, "Geez, even I have my doubts from just looking at that big guy over there! He could be enough of a match for me!"

"Aw, you'll beat him like all the others, Baran!" piped up Selinda eagerly, her eyes sparkling and her voice full with adoration for her big brother, "You're the strongest person here! You could show those Hellions what you're made of and let 'em know they can't push us around!"

Mammoth smiled at Selinda while Gizmo muttered under his breath, "Sheesh, I'm surrounded by gut-wiggling prima-donnas. If it gets any sappier, I'm gonna hurl chunks."

The Headmistress' voice then cut through the chatter in the building in a final tone, ending the session.

"The additional rules and regulations that shall take into effect shall be discussed during your study period with your regular instructors where they will explain them in great detail. Any questions, feel free to ask any member of the staff. Until then, return to class! This meeting is now over and you are all dismissed!"

"I'm not so sure I like this," murmured Selinda uncomfortably as she and the others rose to walk out of the grand building and amble back to class along with the rest of the mob. Jinx didn't either, and she just kept nervously looking back at the Hellions as she and the other H.I.V.E. students ambled back to class. To her surprise, she could detect the faintest traces of knowing and smug looks on the Hellions' faces.

Meanwhile, her face hard and resentful, the Headmistress walked past the curtains and into the backstage, hidden from view and away from the prying eyes of the H.I.V.E. students or the disdainful snorts and conversations coming from the Hellions as they surveyed the faculty and student body with clear messages of condescension and disparagement. Still, the matron leader of H.I.V.E. had one last chore to do, and it was the one she most loathed. The elderly woman then stonily approached the two adults who were waiting silently and patiently for her to finish her address to the academy.

It was Lex Luthor and Emma Frost, the respective Black Rook and White Queen on the Hellfire Club.

"It is done; the Hellfire Club and the Hellions now have free reign and control over H.I.V.E. This address was the last of the formalities for my students and fellow staff," she stated with a bit of belligerent venom. Oh God, how much she would have loathed herself and the decision she had made had she had the precious foresight. Luthor smiled.

"See, my dear Headmistress? That wasn't so hard, and you'll find that you and your precious brood shall reap the benefits and greatness from the Hellfire's grace and influence. And the donations made by Lexcorp certainly didn't allow you to put up much of an argument since we discovered your brush with Chapter 13 bankruptcy…" he drawled.

"I'm surprised your former friend and the current CEO, Mercy Graves, didn't discover that Lexcorp was funding H.I.V.E. immediately once the transactions started. It is hard to miss a hole the size of several billion dollars," the Headmistress shot back in a passive aggressive move. The bald, powerfully built man smiled even wider.

"She is a completely ignorant fool if she didn't realize that I have access to a few secret accounts and funds that are drawn from Lexcorp's finances and stock-options. No one, not even my most trusted accountants and firms, have any knowledge about the accounts, so the charitable contributions will not show on any of the records or reports. You and your precocious academy of future villains are safe and are in good hands…"

"And are under your complete control and mercy…" said the Headmistress in an aggrieved and bitter voice before she could stop herself. Emma Frost raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Temper, temper, my dear…" she said in a sweet, lofty voice, oozing like honey, "After all, did you not just say mere moments ago that H.I.V.E. must do whatever it takes to ensure their legacy and standing in the world, after your unbearable and mortifying and shameful defeats, note the use of the plural term, at heroes that even the Epsilon Hellions could take out with ease. You do want your students to triumph and succeed, don't you?"

The question came out as a hard accusation from the blond telepath's lips, and the Headmistress had no choice but to backpedal. There was no other option; H.I.V.E. was already in too far to rescind and back out of the deal by now.

"Of course not, Ms. Frost."

Luthor nodded as he and the White Queen turned and started to walk away, calling over his shoulder, "Good, then it is settled. The Hellions will give us periodic updates and progress reports on how H.I.V.E. is adjusting to our few, quaint changes and how well the contributions are faring with the Hellfire's…_investments_."

The way Luthor voiced that word alone made the Headmistress' hair stand on end as she clenched her hands into fists.

"Just remember, Headmistress," Emma added silkily as she and Luthor disappeared into the shadows, "We felt you and your students at H.I.V.E. were important for this mission against the Teen Titans…do not force the Hellfire Club to reconsider and recant its offer to protect you and your so-called 'prestigious academy' once the Armageddon arrives. Unless…you don't really give a damn about those brats of yours."

The Headmistress of H.I.V.E. just sullenly and resentfully stared at the White Queen's back, her face a mixture of hidden, worn-out sorrow and resignation and her mouth puckered into a thin line.

---

It was past midnight. The sky was a moon-less, dreary black with the softest tone of rosy red, blanketing the metropolis known as Jump City with a cover of fallacious peace. No stars, no light above…it was as if the darkness itself was about to declare a foreboding and imminent prophecy of doom and destruction to come. Yet the skyscrapers and the residents all just rested, dozed, or slowly ambled around in their homes, oblivious to it all. Which was why not even a single eyelid batted or a single head turned to look when a faint ripple in the sky appeared, causing a slight yet unnoticeable rift in the current dimension of Earth. Not even the detectors and sensitive electronic equipment at the Titan Tower, equipment that could even report if a firefly was about to invoke its glow, could sense the disturbance. With a soft noise, a figure plummeted out of the rift before the tear in time and space vanished as quickly as it once came.

With the most graceful of acrobatic moves, the figure landed on his feet with a soft _pap_ on the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper, only startling a few sleeping pigeons, but otherwise, was well hidden and undetected on the abandoned roof. The figure was gigantic, upright, and even cloaked in the darkness, one would see the hulking and muscular form of the bare-chested figure and the weapon that was strapped to his back. The figure then sniffed the air warily before he groaned.

"By the Great Beast…" he muttered in a deep, lion-like voice, "It is coming…"

**Author's note: Yep, you read right! As I have pointed out before, in this Misfit-verse, the Misfits, the X-Men and G.I. Joe are not the only freedom fighters on this planet and they're going to be in for some fun times with meeting other fellow heroes (eventually)! There IS a reason for this, but it won't be revealed until much, MUCH later, but I thought you guys might enjoy the mention. And as for the Teen Titans, I'm basing this story around the Raven-arc in Season Four! Trust me folks, you're not going to believe how much I'm going to twist this story with the Misfits and X-Men, including our mysterious visitor who you will discover later on! Next Friday, the X-Men, the Misfits, and G.I. Joe are visited during a typical day at the Institute by members of the Justice League who bring some very suspicious and disturbing news as we also take an additional look at the happenings of H.I.V.E. check back next Friday for the chapter, "Of Re-Cons And Wrecks", but until then, read, enjoy, and review!**


	2. Of ReCons and Wrecks

**Author's Notes: Yep, Red Witch pointed out a good point! This happens before "This Soap Opera Called Life" happened, so as a result, Evan is not a member of the Hellions! Remember, I'm deviating this after the fanfic "Tremors of the Past" so everything I write is completely unrelated to Red Witch's brilliant story-telling! Thanks, though, to Red Witch for letting me write the Misfit-verse this way! And a special shout-out to all my reviewers! That said, enjoy this second chapter!**

**CHAPTER 2: Of Re-Cons and Wrecks**

At the same time, the day before the Teen Titans and the Titans East were attempting to celebrate Raven's birthday, things were generally back to some sense of normalcy over at Xavier's Institute of the Gifted…

**_KAAA-BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!_**

"My room!" screamed Kitty shrilly.

"My clothes!" hollered Jean several seconds later in _her_ room, "Oh my God! They used Claudius and Barney's diaper deposits in here!**_ Oh my God! It's EVERYWHERE!_**"

"Woo hoo, woo hoo, woo hoo hoo hoo!" Pietro and Jamie were heard cackling like demented cousins of Daffy Duck as they ran for their lives with Ray, Wanda and Roberto pursuing them, the two male X-Men and one female Misfit now entirely drenched with what could only smell like dank seawater mixed with fish guts.

"Fry, you albino hummingbird reject! Fry!" yelled Ray as he let out a blast of electricity at Pietro, but unfortunately missed and caused yet another hole in the wall (and sadly enough had caused a water pipe to burst).

"I'll kill Multiple, and you two can kill my brother!" Wanda offered out loudly as she tried hexing the staircase in order to cut off their escape, but ingeniously, Jamie and Pietro managed to swing off the banister from the second story and slide down the railing.

"That's fine with me!" Roberto said as he took off in the air in his powered mode.

"**_COME BACK HERE WITH REMY'S PANTS, YOU LITTLE FUNGUSES!_**" one could hear Remy bellowing from a block away as he chased the Delgado Triplets who were cackling gleefully while running by with the article in question, waving haphazardly in their hands.

"Uh…shouldn't the correct term be '_fungi_', Remy?" asked Forge idly as Trinity rushed by.

"Forge, shut up and help Remy get back his pants!" snapped the Cajun X-Man impatiently at the X-Man inventor on the sidelines as he pursued them, clad in a T-shirt and his briefs.

"Chuck!" bellowed Logan wrathfully from another room while chasing a familiar green-feather parrot who was clutching a bottle of fine whiskey, "You better get Shipwreck do something about that insane parrot of his! Polly raised the liquor cabinet again!"

…which wasn't apparently saying much considering that the Misfits and Joes, in their typical fashion, came to visit and/or annoy the X-Men at their school.

"Stormy!" Shipwreck yelled eagerly as he popped up around the corner to find Ororo trying to have a pleasant conversation with Hank over tea in the plush living room, "Didja miss me?"

Ororo's face darkened a bit but she decided to try another tactic as she gave no indication that she heard or noticed the G.I. Joe sailor as she asked Hank, "So what did you make of the abnormal readings of energy from the meteor shower last night, Hank? Quite odd considering that hardly any meteors were within the vicinity of the Sagittarius sector of space within this past year."

"I know. And I cannot explain their presence nor know what to make of the omega radiation and the unnatural traces of antimatter I detected from that quadrant," Hank sighed as he reached for a biscuit from the plate.

Shipwreck then tried again, hoping to get her attention, as he offered with wiggling eyebrows, "Hey, new Cineplex opened up in the next town over, Ororo. Wanna go see the newest horror movie? Popcorn, soda, maybe a little necking?"

There was only silence, with Hank and Ororo giving Shipwreck the cold shoulder as they silently enjoyed their tea. A bit put off, Shipwreck then tried a different tactic as he pulled up a chair.

"Mind if I join you? That brew's smelling mighty good…" he asked rhetorically as he reached for a tea cup and the teapot, but now irritated, Hank slammed one furry, gargantuan paw in front of the Joe's hands, cutting off his path to the jasmine tea and ginger cookies, his voice in a dangerous growl.

"Actually…we **do** mind." Shipwreck's eyes narrowed at the abrupt rudeness as he slowly rose from his chair, his muscles tense and ready to challenge the furry X-Man. But Storm's voice then cut the two men short before they could even start exchanging blows.

"Shipwreck, go away," the weather witch said coldly and shortly, "Hank and I were actually having a very intellectual and enchanting conversation before you decided to bother us with your presence. Please leave us alone and have us enjoy our tea in peace."

Shipwreck looked at her blankly before he left in a bit of a huff, muttering, "Fine, I can see when I'm not wanted."

"That would be a first," mumbled Beast under his breath as he seated himself back into the comfortable chair. Ororo, at the same time, looked as if she had won the grand jackpot of the lottery as she poured Hank some more tea quite jovially.

"Goddess, it worked! _It actually worked!_ The silent treatment was enough to get that lunatic out of my hair for the rest of the day! Hank, you are a genius to encourage me to keep ignoring Shipwreck! I don't know why I never have tried it before!"

"Perhaps it was because you have always simply given in to your temper and would end up chasing our dear Hector throughout the X-Mansion with ball lightning and acid rain," her friend chuckled deeply.

"Can you blame me, though? Goddess, just like Wonder Woman, Cover Girl, and all the other Joes women…Shipwreck has the ability to turn away anything of the opposite gender! I'm surprised he even managed to find a wife!" Storm ranted with a smile as she dipped a piece of biscuit into her cup. Beast stared off a bit into space about that time, almost lost in her blue eyes. Secretly, Hank had been harboring feelings for Ororo for quite some time, about several months after he moved into the X-Mansion and was adjusting to his new life as an instructor. Though he was at first content to just be good friends, it was soon evident to Hank that the more time he spent with her, the more Ororo bewitched him. After all, Storm was intelligent, erudite, cultured, and well-mannered, almost exactly like Hank. And Hank would have told Storm sooner how he felt…except that the students' rampage and rowdiness had always prevented them from having a quiet moment, and throw in the Misfits and the Joes as well to completely obliterate anything regarding free time. And as much as Hank knew that Shipwreck was a honorable soldier and sincere in the fight for mutant-human peace, Beast also felt a resentment that Shipwreck was unknowingly competing with him for Ororo's affections. Granted, they had never been returned and Storm made it clear that everything about Shipwreck annoyed and infuriated her, but Hank really didn't want to risk it…

"Beast?" Ororo's voice cut in front of him, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Hank? Are you all right? You appeared to have just blanked out into space. Is everything OK?"

Beast looked at Ororo deeply, biting his lip a bit. Could he…could he tell her? It was as good as a time as any…

"Ororo?" Hank said gently in a compassionate murmur as he laid a paw on her slim, brown hand, "I…I have always wished to tell you this, and now that I daresay we have one of our few scant opportunities to be alone…I…I simply wish to say - "

"Hiya, Stormy! Miss me yet?" announced Shipwreck loudly as he popped over Storm's shoulder and startled both of the X-Elders.

"SHIPWRECK!" Ororo was immediately angry at the intrusion (yet she gracefully remained silent after her outburst) and so was Hank, but in a more cheated and extreme manner.

"Shipwreck! I thought you said you knew you weren't wanted here! We told you wanted to be left alone!" rumbled Hank, showing his canines in a snarl.

"You never said how long," Shipwreck pointed out, grinning like an idiot while holding something behind his back. Hank felt a vein throb in his temple as his hackles literally stood up, quivering with embittered indignation. Damn it to hell, he was going to get this chance to tell Ororo how he felt, even if he had to beat Shipwreck to a bloody pulp and bury his remains underneath her flower beds…

Ororo decided to just ignore Shipwreck, but then the G.I. Joe sailor presented her right in front of her face a bunch of white moon flowers, sweet smelling and with their very edges of their petals brushed with pink, bragging, "Aw, c'mon Stormy! Thought you could use some cheering up so I gotcha some flowers for ya'!"

Instead of seeing the smile on Storm's face, Shipwreck was a bit confused to see Ororo quivering with anger, one eye twitching ever so slightly, as she stared at the flowers Shipwreck had picked and cut with his knife.

"Shipwreck…" Storm asked, her teeth on edge as much as her voice was, "by any chance…did you get these flowers from the greenhouse? **_My_** greenhouse?"

Shipwreck suddenly felt tongue tied as he became incredibly reluctant to tell her the truth, stalling, "Er…"

"Because these look suspiciously like the rare African mountain moon-flowers I germinated from seed and raised for over eight months…" Storm hissed, her eyes so wide with building rage, you could see the white sclera all around her blue pupils.

"Um…" gulped Shipwreck, have a bad feeling of where this was headed.

"The very moon-flowers that I raised on a strict diet of bottled mineral water and specially made fertilizer of fish meat, washed sand, and grass clippings, separate from the rest of my plants…" Ororo growled, getting to her feet very slowly and in a very intimidating manner before she slowly faced the now _very_ demoralized soldier.

"Uh, heh-heh…" chuckled Shipwreck weakly, hoping she'd find the whole thing funny (which she didn't in the slightest).

"The sporadic and fragile flora that I had to raise and incubate under specific temperature-controlled sun lamps due to the fact that they only bloom once every six months?" Ororo said, her voice now growing a bit shrill as her fingers kept twitching and begging to wrap themselves around her antagonist's throat.

"Uh-oh…" trailed off the bearded Joe to himself.

"The very African flowers that mean more to me than five of you?" Storm asked in a final death note, a slight vein popping off her left temple.

Shipwreck then decided to dig his proverbial grave even deeper.

"Would this be a bad time to also add that I chopped off some of your black roses as well?" Shipwreck said in a very meek and weak voice as he held up several hacked bunches of said blossoms in his other hand.

**Crack! KABOOOOOMMMM!**

"And right on cue," sighed Roadblock as he and Low Light lazily watched Shipwreck running for his life with Ororo flying after him, screaming without words, as she kept hurling red-colored ball-lightning, "Looks like Storm's giving Hector his dues. And with our weather-witch wanting Shipwreck's head more or less, I think it's best to stay out of this mess."

"You won't be hearing me saying otherwise. I know better than to get in the warpath of Storm when she's like this," Low Light agreed as he took a swig from his root beer bottle he raided from the X-Men refrigerator.

Meanwhile, Amara, Piotr, and Justin were conversing in the hallway when they heard the telltale sounds of thunder and noticed the bright flashes of lightning before Shipwreck came barreling down the hallway towards them in a mad panic, all the meanwhile ducking and avoiding the spheres of painful electricity. Amara and Piotr gasped before they flattened themselves against the wall and allowed Shipwreck and Storm to pass by them, avoiding being stampeded and trampled by the two adults. Justin was so taken aback, he remained frozen on the spot before he cringed at the last second.

"Yeow!" Justin yelled as he covered his head with his arms, awaiting the painful impact. To his surprise and Piotr and Amara's collective relief, Justin orbed away and the only thing Shipwreck dashed through was a fleeting cloud of white sparks. With a faint shimmering noise, Justin then reappeared in another bedroom of the X-Mansion within the opposite wing. Justin blinked as he looked up from his cowering position of his arms shielding his face, a bit confused considering he just orbed to a part of the mansion he had never seen before. Where was he?

"Uh…kitten? Do you mind explaining what in hellkats are you doing here?" a hoarse voice said in a bit of an aloof and stiffened tone from behind. Justin made a noise of surprise as he whirled around to see a frowning Jake who was sitting at the head of his bed, holding a photo-frame in one paw. Jake was scowling at Justin, and Justin could see that the kat's eyes were red from breaking down. It was then that the Misfit realized that he orbed in during a very private time for Jake, and the instructor wasn't the least bit pleased.

"Um…I'll…I'll just leave," murmured Justin as he made for the door, but then he and Jake heard general explosions outside, causing the wooden slab to quake and smoke a bit, as if in flames, as they heard Trinity laughing along with Kitty, Jean, Remy, and Rina screaming as the three X-Men chased the eleven-year old mutant geniuses.

"Like die, you little monsters!" screamed Kitty on the other side as Jake could discern the general noises of Kitty firing missiles from her glovatrix.

"**_Get 'em! Get 'em!_**" Jean shrieked as she was heard stomping by in a mad rush to grab the Delgado Triplets and wring their necks.

"You three insane rejects from Hell's laboratory can't run from us forever!" roared Rina as she flew by in hot pursuit, but damned if the three girls weren't incredibly quick sprinters. Justin winced as he slightly backed away from the door, realizing that now was not the best time to step outside.

Jake sighed wearily as he eyed Justin.

"Considering what's going on outside, Justin, I don't blame you if you wanted to avoid the general chaos. You're welcome to stay here until the explosions die down," the brown kat mumbled, though it was apparent that he still wanted to be left alone and that he had just said that sentence for politeness' sake. After all, one normally didn't want to want an audience when you're crying your eyes out. Though Justin could have orbed out to a safer area such as the garden or the kitchen and respected Jake's privacy…the Misfit was a bit curious and pained to see Razor like this. Justin then could glimpse the photo Jake was holding in his paw; it was a photo of Jake being held in a headlock, laughing along with a bigger and more muscular kat with yellow fur, tawny stripes and a mischievous yet playful smirk as wide as New York. Justin then remembered what Fred and Todd told him of the SWAT Kat TV series.

"So…this is Chance?" Justin asked as he looked at the picture of the unfamiliar kat in Jake's paws, almost looking over the SWAT Kat's shoulders obtrusively. Jake rolled his eyes, unenthusiastically exhaling through his nose, at Justin, making it clear he wasn't in any mood to talk during his breakdown times. Justin blushed as he hurriedly scooted to the other end of the bed as he apologized, extremely shamefaced.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…I shouldn't be so nosy…" the teenager murmured quickly, almost scared that he made the instructor mad, but Jake then managed to keep a lid on his irritation as he decided talking was better than having an uncomfortable and tense silence. And if anything, Jake didn't want to cause ill feelings and uncomfortable resentfulness between himself and anyone for that matter. He handed the picture to Justin so that the young adolescent could have a better view of Chance.

Jake said in a tired voice, "No, Justin, you were just inquisitive. It's nothing for me to get mad at, especially since all of the X-Men and some of your Misfits know the details of what happened. Yeah, this was Chance and me, my partner and best friend since we were teenagers. And he was the other SWAT Kat known as T-Bone, and the both of us were the infamous yet noble vigilante team that protected Megakat City for a good number of years until…until he got killed by Feral when we were fighting Dark Kat. And though the X-Men helped me and my friends defeat Dark Kat…I didn't want to stay there, stay in my world anymore. It would have been too painful to me."

"Wow," Justin murmured dumbly, not sure what to say, as he looked at the picture before he turned to Jake who was leaning heavily forward with his arms lifelessly resting on his knees, "And…and you were all alone?"

"Yeah, very much so."

"And even afterwards, after you fought the battle with Dark Kat, didn't…um, well, didn't you have any friends or any family?"

Jake then raised his head to look at Justin as he emphasized, "I do _now_, Justin, and that's all that matters. Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Megakat City and how I still wish Chance didn't die, but that's not going to happen realistically. I couldn't stay in Megakat City anymore, and I wanted to start a new life, one that didn't require me to take up being a SWAT Kat again without Chance. So I left…and now I can say I'm better off because of it. And I've found a little happiness with the X-Men, having them be my friends and little brothers and sisters in a way, and that's all that I really need right now."

There was a pause between the X-Man and the Misfit before Justin, though he had no idea why, laid a tentative hand on Jake's shoulder.

"I'm sorry you went through that…"

Jake gave the slightest hint of a resigned smile from the corner of his mouth as he said simply, "Don't be."

Meanwhile, in another section of the mansion, Fred was walking with Tabitha towards Forge's laboratory, chatting animatedly…

"Thanks for doing this for me, Tabby," Fred said as he held the door open for Tabitha to enter. The blond-haired bomb-maker waved off the thanks indifferently.

"Ah, no need, Freddy! But I am a little curious as to why couldn't you just keep the ice cream back at Misfit Manor? Or as to why you and Lina couldn't share a little alone time over at the Pit?"

"**_TOAD! XI!_**" screamed Rogue in the background loudly enough to cause the walls to slightly shake, "You two yahoos better give us back our ice cream, or else I'll do things to you so gruesomely and excessively violent, even Quentin Tarantino would consider them disgusting!"

"You know Rogue, you should really learn to share, yo!" Toad sneered, sticking out his tongue and giving the gothic X-Girl a big raspberry as he and Xi dashed off, gulping huge spoonfuls of Häagen-Dazs from stolen pints as a furious Rogue chased after the two Misfits, brandishing with a rolling pin. Tabitha rolled her eyes back at Blob.

"Never mind, stupid question," Tabitha giggled.

Fred added, "Plus, with Pietro and Trinity being so nosy, I couldn't have a quiet time with Lina without them spying on us even if I paid them to leave us alone! At least here, with Jean and Scott and Kitty being easy targets, Pietro and the Triplets will be too busy trying to play pranks on everyone and annoy the hardcore X-Men to bother me and Lina! Thus, it'll give me a chance to have a quiet ice cream date with her in the Mansion without needing to worry about the guys intruding in on us!"

Tabitha had to nod, impressed. It _was_ a good idea, and she would have never guessed that Fred would be able to think of it. Tabitha then said as she led Fred to the refrigerator in Forge's laboratory where he stored Petri-dish cell samples.

"Hid it right here, away from everybody else so that none of the other X-Men might accidentally get it, and since Forge was busy working with Beast and Razor on the Velocity, he didn't go to his lab for the past three days which leaves your stuff safe. That pistachio walnut caramel ice cream is as safe as -"

Tabitha then trailed off, stunned, as she and Fred looked in the freeze unit to find that the quart of ice cream she carefully harbored for Fred to give to Lina…was gone.

"Hey!" cried out Blob as he peered in the freezer, "What happened to the ice cream I got?"

"I don't get it!" protested Tabitha, "I hid it right here! And I knew that you wanted to use it to cheer up Lina as a surprise so I didn't eat it! And I didn't tell anyone else that it was here!"

"Well, where else could it have gone? _It couldn't have walked away!_"

At the same time, in the study of the Institute, Lina was moping, a bit down, by herself on one of the mahogany tables when a dish of ice cream slid gently in front of her. She looked up to see the X-Teen, Iceman, looking concerned as he held another bowl of ice cream in his hands.

"Here," Bobby said in as sincere of a voice as he could play out. Lina looked pleasantly surprised as she took the small bowl, her eyes crinkled in shock.

"Oh, wow! My favorite ice cream! Pistachio walnut with caramel! How…why?" the insect-girl asked, a bit muddled. Bobby gave a wide grin that made him look mischievous and cute at the same time (Lina was a bit ashamed to consciously realize this).

"You looked a little down, Lina, so I thought since you're visiting along with the rest of the Misfits, I thought maybe you could use some cheering up. And hey, ice cream always cheers me up!" Bobby said amiably as he dug in eagerly. Of course, Lina would never really guess how Bobby got the ice cream. Bobby had to pat himself on the back for his genius, especially since it was easy to eavesdrop on Tabitha on the phone as Fred pleaded several days ago with her to hide a pint of Lina's favorite ice cream at the mansion so that he could use it to cheer her up next time the Misfits visited the X-Men. And when Bobby found out, he decided it would be in his best interests if Lina spent some time sharing ice cream with someone else more worthy other than Blob…

Lina looked a bit wary as she asked, "But…but how did you know this was my favorite ice cream?"

Bobby gave a warm smile while lying skillfully through his teeth, "You told us. Remember? When you and Justin came to visit us in the Mansion before the Furies from Apokolips attacked. We all got to talking and that was one of the things were talked about when we were talking about our favorite shows and stuff. Remember?"

"I'm surprised you remember that," Lina commented, feeling a bit shifty. She got the feeling that there was a romantic string attached to this gesture of kindness, but Bobby then proficiently countered that suspicion.

"Nah, not really. After all, we're friends and supposed to mend things back between the Misfits and X-Men again like the Professor and Hawk wanted. And besides, when I was going out with Jubilee when she stayed with us, she liked it when I did little things to cheer her up while we were dating, showed her how much I cared. And I like doing this for all my friends, to make them laugh. Heck, Jubes always told me people need pranksters and jokers to make some humor when everyone's depressed. She and I still contact each other through e-mail when we can…"

Lina felt herself relax. So Bobby _wasn't_ interested in her and only wanted to be friendly. She suddenly felt ashamed for thinking so badly of such a good soul. Bobby smiled upon seeing Lina lower her defenses, inwardly cheering that she bought it (and hoping she wouldn't spend time to check his story on if he and Jubilee did date in the past). Hell, this was worthy of winning an Oscar for "Best Actor". After a couple of bites, Lina smiled at the X-Man.

"You know, Bobby…" and with that, Lina paused a bit, not sure if she wanted to say anything in fear of offending Bobby, especially since he was so nice to her.

"Yeah?" Bobby said, trying his best to keep his voice nonchalant, but budding with a twinge of excited interest.

"You know, when I first came with the Misfits and when I talked with your other teammates, I…well, I was told a lot of things about you, how you broke up Lance and Kitty by exposing his past, how you got the other New Mutants drunk, and how you were always a thoughtless jerk…"

Bobby made a very big show of having his eyes being troubled as he made a sorrowful and regretful expression and said, "And I _am_ sorry about that, about everything that led to the blowout. Really, I am. Believe me, I know it wasn't an excuse to expose Lance like that and cause the breakup between him and Kitty, but I was hurting because my parents disowned me and I was really going through a low point at that time. I know I said sorry to Lance, but I also know it isn't going to bring things back to the way they were before. I just…when you've been hurt, you just want to hurt someone else to feel better, you know?"

The thing was that Bobby wasn't lying when he said this. He truly did feel bad and guilty for what he did to Lance. He regretted that day ever since (especially since he was still being targeted by various members of the Misfits for revenge), but of course, being overly dramatic about his guilt could gain him a few points in Dragonfly's eyes.

At the same time, Dragonfly was still pondering what Bobby just told her. She _did_ understand; she herself tried to commit suicide on her first day with G.I. Joe when her parents disowned her and she was adopted into the Misfits. And she felt her heart go out to Bobby even more for being vulnerable enough to trust her with his feelings and secrets. Shy and slightly hesitant, the female Misfit continued.

"Well, I was about to say…to be honest, when I first met you, I thought you were crude and obnoxious and a senseless creep. But, after spending some time with you…I guess I was wrong. You're a really nice guy, really sweet. And…and I'm sorry, for what it's worth, that some of my friends and family are still holding big grudges against you. And, now that I remember it, I'm sorry I slapped you when the X-Men and Misfits had that big fight before we split up with Supergirl and Batgirl to go find Apokolips."

Bobby shrugged easily as he said, "It's OK. I deserved it, and it was mean of me to say that to Freddy, especially since he saved my life when we fought those demon-things at Apokolips."

"Still…" and Lina touched Bobby's hand in hers, sending shivers of pleasure and joy into Iceman's spine, "You're a really great guy, and deep down, you're nicer and more considerate than a lot of people give you credit for. I think that someday, if things between you and Jubilee don't work out, you'll make some other girl really happy."

_But I really want that girl to be **you**, Lina_, Bobby thought to himself, but he didn't dare voice that one out loud.

"Thanks, that means a lot, coming from you," Bobby answered, dreamily feeling like he was on Cloud Nine, even conveniently forgetting that he stepped on Fred's chance just to get _his_ chance to bond with Lina (and raise himself a few notches in her opinion and respect). Of course, if Bobby was even listening to his conscience right now, his morality spirit would be angrily screaming into Iceman's right ear that he was a monster and that he was going straight to hell. And even if he had been listening, Bobby couldn't have cared less. Being with Lina made him happy and all the more worthwhile.

However, the tender moment was broken when Bobby, Lina, and all the other Misfits, X-Men and Joes heard Professor X's voice sound gently in all their minds through a telepathic connection.

_X-Men, Misfits, G.I. Joe…report to my office. There is a matter that may require our help and expertise. Repeat, students, faculty, and G.I. Joe, please come to my office…and Wanda, please stop before you cause Pietro to bleed to death. I just had the carpet shampooed…_

In a few minutes, all the X-Men and Joes and Misfits gathered in the grand and spacious office of Xavier (including a singed Shipwreck and a heavily bruised Pietro, now sporting a swollen lip) to find a pleasant if not unexpected surprise. There, standing next to General Hawk and Professor Xavier, was Green Lantern, one of the members of the Justice League.

"Green Lantern?" Spirit asked, a bit shocked, "Why are you here? I thought you and the rest of the members of the Justice League wished to maintain their distance from the X-Men and Misfits after the fiasco with the Watchtower."

John Stewart gave Spirit a dry look as he said, "Despite that, the Justice League still stands on the belief that the X-Men and Misfits and Joes will be a great help of assistance to us when the time comes. And considering what I have to show you all, it is a matter that may require your skills and experience, especially considering that not even Superman and Wonder Woman are used to dealing with mutants."

"Mutants? Where?" Kurt piped up, his brow crinkling. John then managed to take out a small metallic instrument that looked remarkably like a CD player before it projected a holographic image large enough for all the teenagers and adults to see. It was a view of Jump City.

Green Lantern then announced, "A little while ago, when Batman and Hawkgirl were investigating the incidents with Batgirl and Supergirl and the Phoenix Force, they managed to trace several of the ties with H.A.T.E. with Cobra, Shaw Enterprises, Fisk Industries, Oscorp, and Lexcorp, most of the general businesses with lucrative finances and holdings, but nothing really suspicious. After all, it was public knowledge that many corporations were willing to lend their funds and sources as noticeable tax breaks and ways to support the anti-alien movement while it was being led by Kanto. Yet we were able to discover that there was a strange amount of money disappearing from these holdings with H.A.T.E., though we couldn't detect the sources of these embezzlements. All the assets trickled to dummy investments and accounts without any clear path, but Batman was able to conjecture that this money was being financed to a prestigious academy called H.I.V.E., especially since it suspiciously managed to escape bankruptcy after being led by a ruthless headmaster called Brother Blood."

The X-Men and the Misfits then could see a picture of the yellow and black designed building before John then switched the picture to a screenshot of several teenagers wandering around the H.I.V.E. grounds, emphasizing, "Yet what really interested us what this satellite picture we took of several new students that suddenly enrolled into H.I.V.E. We were disconcerted, to say the least, when we discovered the identities of these teenagers. Take a look, all of you. Do you remember them?"

It only took an instant for most of the X-Men and Misfits to recognize the seven youths.

"The Hellions!" gasped Jean upon distinguish the seven teenagers and protégés of Emma Frost and the Hellfire Club.

"You know them?" Lina asked, curious.

"We had a run in with them when Jean, Scott, Ray, and Tabby tried going to a relaxation camp in the woods, and me and Bazooka fought with them when they tried to take away Howie the sea serpent on our fishing trip," Jamie provided.

Rina's eyes crinkled with doubt and disbelief as she asked, "A _sea serpent_? Is this supposedly some term that is used as a part of a slang language that I do not know about yet?"

Fred patiently explained, "Trust me, Rina, Jamie is not kidding. There really **_was_** a sea serpent…"

"Anyway, getting back to what's actually **important**…so if the Hellions are in Jump City, then that must mean that Emma Frost and the Hellfire Club aren't far behind," Ray thought aloud.

Lance then explained to Lina and Rina, "The Hellions are kind of like the X-Men and the Misfits, but they're evil and they don't mind playing dirty. They're a faction of students trained by the Hellfire Club, this huge nasty organization that tried working with Magneto to take over the world before the Joes and us could stop them."

"And it's probably of no coincidence, either," frowned Cover Girl as she pieced it together, "Think about it: H.A.T.E. is funded by Shaw Enterprises, a business that has direct ties to Sebastian Shaw and the Hellfire Club, and yet when it is suddenly exposed as an underhanded backing by Darkseid and Apokolips, the Hellions then suddenly show up to a place like H.I.V.E. out on a whim? Fat chance. Whatever the Hellfire Club is planning, they have some kind of interest in H.I.V.E. and they're probably planning to use it like Darkseid used H.A.T.E. as a cover to kidnap some of our teammates to harness to Phoenix Force."

"But, like, what exactly is H.I.V.E.?" Kitty asked.

Spirit provided, "H.I.V.E. is an academy of gifted children, similar to how the Institute is for mutants, except that _this_ school trains the kids to be future villains and bad guys. Think of them as a breeding ground for the future Magnetos and Cobra Commanders of the world."

"That's a pleasant thought," grimaced Sam, "But then why would the Hellions be there? I thought the Hellfire Club would be teaching those greenhorns themselves, and Frost doesn't seem like the type to just entrust the Hellions to train somewhere else, especially when it seems like she would rather do the schooling and raising."

"You're right on that one, Cannonball," broke in Green Lantern, "Whatever the Hellions are doing there, it may be for a more sinister purpose, especially since the Hellfire Club may have been directly behind the reasons why Darkseid suddenly targeted you for the Phoenix Force. It's entirely possible that the Hellfire Club was the one who supplied Darkseid the M'Kraan Crystal in the first place."

"What? Are you kidding? But…but why would they do that?" Piotr asked, flabbergasted.

"Keep in mind, Colossus, it's only a theory, but it's the most likely one we have so far, even though we don't have proof. And the reason the Justice League is asking for your help is because we have never experienced the Hellions or the Hellfire Club before. We have never fought them and mutant threats are one of the few things we have rarely dealt with directly. Plus, since the Teen Titans are in Jump City and are direct enemies of H.I.V.E., it may be in our best interests if you can help the Teen Titans deal with the Hellions and give them much needed assistance."

"You have a point, Mr. Stewart," murmured Xavier, "The Hellfire Club is a very dangerous opponent and from what we have heard of the Teen Titans, they may be seriously outnumbered, especially if the Hellions try to fight them."

"And you think that the Hellfire Club and the Hellions are going to try something against the Teen Titans?" Roberto asked Green Lantern.

"Yes, and after the conspiracy activity behind the Furies and the Phoenix Force, we would rather play it safe this time. It would greatly help us if the Misfits, the X-Men, and the Joes could help the Teen Titans and Titans East combat this alliance, especially since we felt that the best way to deal with mutant threats is to request the help of mutant heroes."

"But why would the Hellfire Club be interested in the Teen Titans, yo? They never even fought with them before and I don't think any of their members are interested in joining them," Todd pointed out.

"I guess we'll find out when we get to Jump City and start investigating, starting with H.I.V.E. headquarters," Forge offered.

"And it would be nice to meet the Teen Titans," mused Remy, "_Merde!_ Those five will be an interesting bunch to get along with, especially that red-haired femme named Starfire. _Oui!_ She has both the beauty and thorns of a rose, that _chere_!"

"Swamp rat…" growled Rogue warningly, and Remy quickly gulped as he threw Rogue an apologetic smile.

"We'll leave for Jump City immediately then," finished Althea on a final note, "We can use the Mass Device to teleport everyone there as soon as we're ready."

"We're **all **going, right?" Jamie asked with wide eyes. Beast chuckled as he fatherly tussled the adolescent's hair. He could understand that Jamie didn't want to be left behind, especially since he was so eager to prove himself and go into the thick of all the excitement and battle.

"Of course, Multiple. Kitty can even take Lockheed with her on this mission if she would wish to. I'm sure our resident dragon would love meeting new people."

"Like totally, Beast!" Kitty piped up happily as Lockheed roared appreciatively in the background, "That would be so excellent!"

"Hey, Mr. Green Lantern, why did you come by yourself? Didn't the rest of the Justice League want to brief us as well?" Tabitha asked. John frowned slightly, as if suddenly dawning on something, as he looked around the room.

"Actually, I was supposed to brief you all with the Flash, but come to think of it, he left for a bathroom break right before you kids came here when Xavier called you," Green Lantern said slowly. Wanda then looked around the room to notice another worry.

"Oh no," she moaned, "Pietro's gone too…"

"Oh no…" echoed Althea, wincing, suddenly having a good idea of how this was going to end.

Suddenly, there was a series of crashing rang from the kitchen as Quicksilver and the Flash could be heard arguing while the faint rumbling of the mansion indicated that Wally and Pietro were having a speed-fight.

"It's mine!" yelled Pietro.

"Hey, you've hogged it long enough so hand it over!" snapped the Flash.

"You're one to talk!"

"Let go! I want this coffee more than you!" Wally shouted.

"You let go! It's mine!" Pietro shot back heatedly as the winds started to pick up in the nearby hallway, highlighting that the brawl between the two speedsters was starting to get ugly.

"No, it's mine!"

"Mine!" Quicksilver yelled.

"No, it's MINE!" yelled the Flash in equal vehemence and volume.

"**_Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine…!_**" hollered Pietro in his super-speed.

"**_Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine…!_**" hollered Wally at the same time in _his_ super-speed.

"Dare I ask what's happening?" Roadblock quipped, deadpanned, though he knew the answer was going to be painful. Daria, Quinn, and Brittany then gave identical evil smiles.

Daria provided, "Let's just say Pietro managed to sneak another thermos of B.A.'s coffee with him before we left the Pit to visit the X-Men…"

"And of course, Wally would be desperate to get his hands on some more of that stuff," moaned John Stewart as he held his head in his hands to soothe the pounding migraine, "Not again! It took us a day and a half to detoxify that brew out of his bloodstream after Pietro gave it to him that last time you kids went to visit us at the Watchtower! And just our luck, he's still addicted to it! Batman and Superman are going to kill Wally if he doesn't drive them nuts first! Oh God, and I just had to draw one of the short sticks!"

"The short stick? You mean as in drawing straws or something of the like?" Xi asked, a bit confused.

"Why do you think only **two** of the members of the Justice League was sent to come brief you?" the man griped wryly.

"Um…Mr. Green Lantern, if you keep clutching your head like that, you're most likely going to cause your fingers to burrow into your skull," Amara pointed out hesitantly.

John made the best of an effort to grimly smile (although it looked like he was rather wincing in extreme pain) as he groaned, "Trust me, Amara. Right now, that is the _preferable_ option…"

---

"This bites! I didn't even get a chance to tell them what I could do!" whined Selinda as she and Jinx commiserated together in Jinx's room over at H.I.V.E. academy. The pink-haired witch stayed silent, but one could tell she was contemplating the same thing her friend was. It wasn't much of surprise, considering that ever since they were declared as the "disgraced graduates of H.I.V.E." ever since their loss to the Teen Titans when they first fought them, Jinx knew that deep down, the Headmistress would be less eager to send her, Mammoth, and Gizmo along with the Hellions to go on a mission tonight. Heck, ever since she was bailed from prison, Jinx had to endure taunts and insults and jeers from fellow classmates on how she was a failure because she and her friends were easily defeated by the Teen Titans. And when Brother Blood arrived to lead H.I.V.E., he was even less sympathetic, much to Jinx's disappointment, calling them all useless examples of future villains and never missing an opportunity to display the three of them as examples of what not to become as a villain. Yet Selinda was one of the few who didn't follow suit. She still loved Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth deeply and stood by them fiercely when her classmates and even Brother Blood told her to not lower herself to the "H.I.V.E. rejects". That was one of the reasons why Jinx was very appreciative of Shimmer and how she always was loyally open and welcoming, even though such deeds and conduct was looked down upon as traits for wickedness and wrongdoing.

Yet what stung was that a day after the Hellions arrived into H.I.V.E., Mammoth and Gizmo were chosen along with Private HIVE and See-More to accompany the Hellions for a special mission. Jinx was not chosen, and as such, she too was left behind. Selinda was understandable since she had no real training and was still incredibly too young for any strenuous battle, but Jinx was a top-graduate. Shimmer than noticed the look on her friend's face and immediately felt remorseful.

"I'm sorry. I must have really been thoughtless to put my foot in my mouth, especially since you probably wanted to go out to fight the Titans instead of stay with me," Selinda said a little sadly.

Jinx popped her head up, shocked. She then said insistently and sincerely, "_What?_ No, Selinda, don't ever think that! Yeah, I'm sad I couldn't go, but I'm never willing to put you over anything! You've been there for me as a really great friend and your Mammoth's sister! Of course I'm glad that if I'm going to stay behind and do nothing, at least I can do it with you!"

"Think Gizmo and Mammoth went to go fight the Titans?" Selinda asked, suddenly veering off-topic.

"I wouldn't be surprised, but either way, I wouldn't be exactly looking forward to fighting them again, especially since we keep losing to them," muttered Jinx in a resentful tone, "As well as other things…"

"Like because you still have feelings for Cyborg when he was disguised as Stone?"

Jinx looked down on her bedspread as she idly picked at the fabric, exhaling through her nose loudly. It was no secret that when Cyborg went undercover as the student Stone, Jinx had become incredibly infatuated with him, and upon finding out that she exposed her feelings all for a traitor and an enemy, she was hurt. And it didn't help that the other H.I.V.E. students, when they got wind of it, jabbed at her mercilessly for it. Though she shrugged it off underneath a façade of indifference and hostility at the mention of the Titans…she could secretly admit to herself that it was pretty painful still. Funnily enough, Shimmer could see that. Shimmer smiled as she took Jinx's hands in hers eagerly.

"Well, it's his loss, that Cyborg! And we'll get the chance to beat him and the Titans soon enough! With all the stuff the Hellions are teaching us and with all the medical check-ups and supplements and stuff we're going through, we'll finally be able to show those goody-goodies that H.I.V.E. is number one!" Selinda said with undying faith, yet Jinx looked at her younger friend worriedly, immediately alarmed.

"Wait! Selinda, what did you just say?" she gasped as she held Selinda's hand tightly.

Confused, the small redhead then explained, "Well, the Headmistress said that all of us should start going to the medical wards at least twice or three times a week to go through some procedures and stuff to improve our physical capabilities and lessen our chances to get sick and stuff. Remember, in study hall? The teachers all discussed it, and everyone's already doing it! I mean, if the Hellions go through it, then it must be good! Remember how all seven of them just breezed through our training exercises? I mean, it was set to Level 50, the highest ever and one that no one at H.I.V.E. could ever complete, yet all the Hellions were able to pass through it with flying colors! So if we wanna be as strong as the Hellions, then we should go through all the stuff they go through. It didn't hurt much. So far, it's just a couple of shots and stuff…"

Jinx was immediately bothered and upset. The H.I.V.E. villainess did remember. She, Gizmo, and Mammoth all decided to not go through the procedures, partly due to suspicion but also due to the arrogant feelings that they were good enough to battle enemies and opponents without needing performance supplements. Yet if Selinda was going through it along with the rest of the H.I.V.E. students…

"Selinda," breathed Jinx heavily as she took the girl's hands, "Promise me you'll stop going to those medical check-ups, all right? Just promise me and your brother that you won't do the same things the Hellions are doing, OK?"

"But…why?" Selinda was incredibly puzzled.

"I…I just have a bad feeling," Jinx truthfully confessed, "I mean…something about all this, it just doesn't seem right. This just…feels wrong somehow."

Selinda laughed at her friend's worry, thinking it was sweet concern, as she giggled, "Aw, but Jinx, it's safe! I mean, the Hellions are doing it, so it must be a good thing! And besides, the Headmistress says it's OK too! She wouldn't let anything bad happen to us!"

"I…I just…it's complicated. I just have a feeling, that's all," sighed Jinx. Selinda's face fell upon seeing her friend so sad and apprehensive, so she decided to do a little teasing.

"Are you sure you're not jealous?" she ribbed playfully, "Maybe you don't like the idea that someone else will be able to become the next top-graduate of H.I.V.E.?"

Jinx had a wicked, good-humored gleam in her eye as she responded in the only way she could. She smacked Selinda over the head with her pillow with a soft _pap_. That was all the prodding Selinda needed as she grabbed another pillow and returned the blow with enthusiasm. Jinx was in complete hysterics as she let Shimmer have it with a good whack, but Selinda then waved her hand before the pillow could hit her. Thanks to Selinda's powers, instead of cotton cloth and feathers striking her, the material transformed into…soap bubbles? And all that struck the young girl was a mess of soap and air, leaving Jinx weaponless.

"Ha ha!" bragged Shimmer as she wiped the soap bubbles off her face.

"Hey, no fair, Selinda!" giggled Jinx as she got another pillow to wallop Shimmer with. The red-haired adolescent just screeched with laughter as they continued their pillow fight.

"Hey, you should know better than to wage a pillow war against a matter-transmuter!" she crowed as the feathers and cotton started flying.

---

Meanwhile, on that very night, just an hour later after the disastrous result of the Titans and Titans East throwing Raven a surprise party…

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" the gray skinned witch chanted in a monotone voice, deep in her meditation, feeling that familiar stoic sensation of empty thoughts, empty feelings, nothing. She was in her room, hovering a foot or two above her bed, the power caressing her hair and causing it to lazily waft around her face. Yet she took no notice of it. Calm, still, dead to the world…

Raven was in her element here. And she needed it badly.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azara-"

Suddenly, Raven felt very hot as she suddenly had trouble breathing, the air quickly turning thick and heavy. She gave a cough, hoping to clear her lungs, but she could almost taste the smoky flavor of…ash?

Raven gasped in fear, true, paralyzing fear, as her room was suddenly engulfed in flames and red heat, threatening to swallow her whole.

A deep voice then echoed all around her, "**_What you have concealed, you shall become. You have no other choice. Your destiny will be fulfilled._**"

Raven felt her world crumble beneath her. No, it couldn't be! It couldn't! She could never do such a thing! She didn't want to! Surely she had a choice? Surely it can be averted! Desperately, Raven tried to escape, but then to her dismay, several snakes of fire meandered quickly over the covers of her bed before she saw, to her horror and dread, the fire formed a symbol, a strange and stylized letter "S" with two separate dashes. **The** symbol…

"**_The portal must be opened!_**"

It was then that Raven lost it completely, her soul now frozen to ice due to her self-revulsion and loss of will and courage as she screamed shrilly from the nightmares of her past, present, and possible future, "**_NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_**"

With a flash…Raven was back in her bed, in her room. The fire was gone. It was a mere illusion of her powers…but it was enough to cause her to gasp deeply, trying to greatly and distraughtly inhale precious cold air into her terrified lungs and pounding heart as sweat trickled down her neck and forehead. Then her bedroom door opened to reveal a confused and incredibly concerned Bumblebee and Robin.

"You OK, Raven?" Bumblebee asked, anxious.

Robin added, "We heard you scream."

Raven felt numb. No, she couldn't tell them. She couldn't let them know. It would kill her if she did. Yet by the grace of fate and any benevolent being from above, the alarms of the Titans Tower rang loudly in a siren as the rooms in the structure all flashed the warning signs of the crimson color of red.

"Titans! Trouble!" yelled Robin and Bumblebee together in sync on their communicators. Raven had never been so glad to hear the alarm in her life as it gave her something to focus on to push the disturbing images out of her head as she concentrated on the current task at hand. Robin then turned to Bumblebee as the Titans and Titans East converged into the operations center in the heart of the Titans Tower, temporarily forgetting about Raven.

"As long as you guys are staying as our guests, think it won't be much trouble if we ask you and the other members of Titans East to help out?" Robin asked. The feisty African-American teenager smiled.

"Like we'd ever turn down an invitation to kick some ass!"

Yet as the Titans and Titans East immediately sped out of the main hangar bay of the Titans Tower into the night of Jump City…

The mysterious visitor with the sword just narrowed his eyes and rumbled softly in a purring growl as he looked upon the ten teenage warriors flying by with their powers or with their vehicles, rushing past his position atop one of the turrets of Jump City's Mainway Bridge that crossed across the city's bay area. In their rush to scurry to the compound downtown of the metropolis, not a single one of the soldiers noticed that they were being watched, so for now, the figure was safe and undetected.

Yet he could sense what was about to happen, and should it be necessary…

The figure scrutinized upon the figure of Raven, flying by with her black cloak billowing softly behind her in the wind, like a dark shroud of wings. The hulking being then murmured, "So _she_ is the one…"

And the "swordsman" was not the only being eying Raven and the other Titans with growing interest…

The Hellion, Jetstream, was hovering in the dark, night sky as he looked through his binoculars before he spotted the Titans coming their way. He then reported through his H.I.V.E. communicator, "This is Jetstream. I have spotted the Titans, approaching from north-northeast of our location. They're approaching our vicinity…"

"Finally! Now's the chance to give those fuzz-chewers some payback, big time!" crowed Gizmo eagerly as he, Mammoth, See-More and Private HIVE got into their assigned positions along with the rest of the Hellions.

"Patience, young Gizmo…" chastised Slade sternly as his good eye narrowed with cunning thought, gleaming with anxiety, "After all, the day has only just begun…"

**Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next Friday, check back when the Teen Titans and Titans East finally encounter the Hellions and a completely restructured H.I.V.E. for the first time! And of course, the X-Men and Misfits will finally arrive to give them a helping hand, yet what will the Titans, the Joes, the X-Men, and the Misfits do when Slade finally tells Raven the last thing she ever wished to hear? And who exactly is the mysterious figure who is also appearing to be after Raven? Find out next Friday in the chapter "Unwanted Message" but until then, read, enjoy, and review!**


	3. Unwanted Message

**CHAPTER 3: Unwanted Message**

"It's too quiet," Bumblebee murmured nervously, agitatedly fingering the yellow energy stingers in her hands as she looked around where the Titans' computer systems indicated the alarm security network had been triggered. The members of the Teen Titans and Titans East were scouting the perimeter among a compound of buildings and warehouses that served as a docking facility and loading area next to one of the many harbors of Jump City. The area was abundantly stocked with wooden crates and large, metal cargo shipping containers brought in by the numerous trucking companies, the gigantic metal boxes slightly red with rust from the sea water nearby. Mas y Menos, the two speedsters of Titans East, were oddly holding each others' hands, vital since their abilities of speed could only be harnessed by direct contact, but still incredibly queer-looking nonetheless.

"I don't like this," murmured Mas to his brother in their native tongue.

"I know, Mas. This whole thing just…doesn't seem right. This couldn't be a more obvious trap…and as usual, we have to go right into the middle of it," Menos agreed back. Since they were conversing softly in Spanish, neither team paid them much heed, especially since the words were lost on them.

"So the baddie this time? Mad Mod? Killer Moth? H.I.V.E? Brother Blood, even? It makes sense considering we still haven't seen hide or hair of the guy since he vanished from maximum security," Speedy mused, his bow and steel arrow drawn.

"We are not sure, Friend Speedy," Starfire said hesitantly, her melodious voice wafting down gently like goose down as she managed to lower herself to the ground from her aerial position in the sky, "The report at the Titans Tower had only stated that there was an intruder in the vicinity."

"Well, whoever it is, we're so gonna open a can of whoop-ass on their - " yet the sentence absolutely died off the cybernetic teenager's lips as Cyborg's jaw dropped as well as he eyes bugled out so much in astonishment, you could see the whites all around. Upon seeing Cyborg's odd demeanor, the other Titans looked up ahead before they too gasped in surprise, the Teen Titans more so than the Titans East.

"No…" whispered a horrified Robin, his body rigid.

"It can't be!" Mas y Menos chorused in distress.

"No way!" gasped Beast Boy, his face white underneath his green skin, turning paler by the minute.

There, standing at the very end of the pier of the shipping docks…was Slade. It was so hard to believe and yet…there he stood, clad in his black and brown leather apparel, his gold and black halved mask polished and shining under the soft lights of the harbor's streetlights, his eye staring forlornly at the group of teenage heroes. Mercurial, silent, deadly, and yet appearing as fresh and clean and vibrant as if he never perished in the lava battle with the ex-Titan, Terra.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Titans?" Slade said casually, "A month? A year? A millennium? Far too long for my tastes, anyway. I was beginning to think that I would never see you smiling faces again, nor see just how your pitiful copycat team, the Titans East, would prove to be slightly a bit more inadequate than the originals."

The members of Titans East just glared at Slade for the remark, fuming.

"How…how'd you survive?" gasped Cyborg, his mouth opening and closing dumbly like a goldfish.

"Terra took you down, Slade…**way** down!" Beast Boy snarled, his face uncharacteristically harsh and angry. Robin got into a martial stance, his voice calm yet intense.

"Slade…" the Boy Wonder hissed, "I don't know where you've been but you shouldn't have come back. But if you want to fight, I'm still ready…"

Slade just laughed as, to everyone's surprise, a strange symbol then began to glow in the reddest tinge of fresh blood, burning brightly like fire, as the lines slowly appeared until they formed a strange symbol of similar to the letter "S". Raven's eyes went wide with alarm and apprehension as she recognized the pictogram, and it scared it deeply. On the day of her birthday, it was the last thing she needed to see, and the growing dread of the knowledge of her future being validated like this threatened to paralyze her.

Slade chuckled lowly, "Ah…but that is so precious, Robin. But I didn't come for you."

The assassin then looked pointedly at the cloaked girl before he smiled in a sinister manner behind his mask, saying, "Hello, birthday girl…I have a message for you."

Raven's breath quaked, literally, as she gripped her cloak. Instantly, the other Titans and the members of Titans East got in front of Raven protectively, shielding the girl behind them and as a curtain of bodies. Raven felt her mood lift slightly from the gesture of love and protective will.

Starfire's eyes glowed hotly with the green sun-energy coursing through her body as she exclaimed angrily, "She does not wish to hear your message! Please leave Friend Raven alone, and do not come back or we shall be forced to open a strange can of ass-whoop and use it on you!"

Biting his tongue, Cyborg decided not to correct her on that one; there was no point. Slade's eye narrowed as he took several steps forward menacingly.

"I _will_ deliver my message, Titans…and I do not intend to let you stop me," he said pitilessly.

"Yeah right! You and what army, Slade?" Beast Boy growled.

Speedy just snorted derisively as he notched the end of his arrow to the bowstring of his bow.

"Hey, in case you haven't noticed, dipstick, you're outnumbered! You couldn't handle the Teen Titans when they fought with you before! Heck, from what I've heard, even Terra was able to kick your sorry ass! And now that _we're_ here, it's ten of us against one of you! What makes you think we're gonna let you just idle on by and do whatever you want?"

Slade's eyes flashed triumphantly as he snapped his fingers, and to the Titans' horrors, numerous teenagers emerged from the shadows all around them. And Robin and Cyborg and Bumblebee recognized four of them…

"Hello, scuzz-suckers!" Gizmo grinned with sick anticipation as he activated the mechanical spider legs from his backpack with a flaunt, the metal appendages lifting the small techno-genius from the ground and ready to smash and cut everyone down thanks to its razor-sharp edges and indestructible metal alloy.

"Gizmo? Mammoth? Students from H.I.V.E.?" gasped Bumblebee, "_You're_ all working for Slade?"

Slade then inexorably and stonily instructed, "Hellions, H.I.V.E…give the Titans a formal greeting from the Hellfire Club."

"Hellions, H.I.V.E…attack plan, Omega-Fire!" yelled Monet, and though there was some scandalous looks of resentment from Mammoth, Gizmo, See-More, and Private HIVE, the antagonistic teens all obeyed the female Alpha-Hellion.

"**Titans, go!**" yelled Bumblebee and Robin in unison, and as one, they all scattered, dispersing as they each took on one or two opponents. Both the Titans and the Titans East spread out as they used a combination of their powers and fighting abilities to drive back their foes. Empath, the handsome, fair-skinned Hellion, then grinned as he immediately targeted the human, masked vigilante, thinking that this would certainly be easy.

"Feel scared, yet flat-liner? You _will_ be soon enough…" Empath derided nastily as he then used his mutant power to direct a full-blast of telepathic suggestion to manipulate Robin's emotions. Immediately, it hit with the desired effect. Robin grunted in pain, holding his temples with his hands as he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth painfully, causing his mouth to throb. Completely out of the blue, Robin had the overpowering and devastating sensations of fright, anxiety and self-loathing consume his concentration and very being, forcing him to stop whatever he was doing and just bemoan inwardly. Unpleasant memories, nightmares, phobias…all of them hit Robin with such intensity, it was more powerful than the Scarecrow's fear gas as his terrors intertwined with reality, making it difficult for Robin to tell what was real and what was not as he saw images of himself dressed as Slade's apprentice…his father's dead body, cut down by bullets…Batman calling him a disappointment and saying he ever regretted taking him in…the Titans turning against him, blaming him for their failures…

""No!" yelled Robin, and Empath just grinned as he invoked more of his mental suggestion into Robin's repressed and darkest corners of his mind. Robin then had enough as he invoked every bit of willpower he had in ignoring the visions screaming at him as he removed several birdarangs from his belt, the black and yellow discs popping neatly into his hand. He then shut of the conscious connection to his mind, lessening the effectiveness of Empath's exploitations, before he flung the circular boomerangs directly at Empath with vengeance. Empathy was so confident that he was winning that he was taken aback and couldn't dodge the projectiles in time. Within less than two seconds, the Hellion felt the birdarangs crack against his mouth, his forehead, and his hands painfully, leaving red welts and drawing some blood from the deep bruises. Empath busied himself from the pain, and that one moment of distraction ended the torture session for Robin. With a roar, Robin tore across the space in between them before he launched himself into the air and spun around, bringing his foot, heel first, directly into Empath's face.

_Wham!_ Empath's head cracked to the side before the dignified and spoiled teen flew back into a streetlight before going limp, slumping to the floor.

Meanwhile, Mas y Menos, with joined hands, were running circles around Monet, trying to incapacitate her in a whirlwind and trapping the Hellions from attacking their friends. Around and around they went, no more than a red and white blur, as pressurized walls of air pressed against Money from all directions, yet the dark-skinned telekinetic was quite familiar with that modus operandi as she smirked. With a wave of her hand, she lifted the two Hispanic brothers of the ground and forcefully separated them, thereby unable to allow them to use their powers.

"Hey! No fair!" yelled Menos in Spanish, yet without much mercy, Monet used her telekinesis to slam the two repeatedly against the wall of a nearby warehouse, painfully ramming them over and over again. Their cries and hollers of pain as well as the blood blossoming their uniforms was immensely satisfying for her before she flung them hard against a stack of crates. The H.I.V.E. student, See-More then grinned as he did the finishing touch of encasing both Mas and Menos into separate force-fields, keeping them apart and trapped in the spherical domes of energy.

"Stay put, you little, overactive Chihuahuas," he mocked before he and Monet left to fight some more of the Titans.

"Ow…" groaned Menos.

"I hurt…in places…that I didn't know…I even had!" wailed Mas in Spanish, pretty sure that he lost all feeling in one of his legs where Monet broke it.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy found himself in the sights of the Hellion Bevatron…

"Hey kid! Wanna play with me?" sneered Bevatron.Beast Boy just shot him a very disgusted look on his green face.

"Dude, you have **no** idea how dirty that just sounded," the green-skinned animorph retorted before he transformed into a raging bull with barely a noise and heavily galloped at full, stampeding, speed towards the tall, lanky protégé of Emma Frost. Bevatron grinned before his hands crackled with energy of electricity than could only measure in volts in the thousands before he let loose a bolt of white, hot lightning. Beast Boy, realizing he'd have to be quick to take Bevatron down, then shapeshifted into a hummingbird, so tiny that he was able to nimbly evade the energy comfortably since Bevatron could barely make him out. Aqualad then took the chance as he then tried to blitz Bevatron from behind, but the Hellion swiftly evaded the attack, letting Aqualad pass him before he delivered a swift push pick directly into the Titan's back, sending him flying. Unfortunately, this gave the green changeling to transform into a ram before head-butting the Hellion hard into his gut, his thick head catching the mutant in the stomach before sending him flying. Glad for the assist, Aqualad and Beast Boy then dashed together for a combined frontal assault at their rival, but Bevatron wasn't finished. Raising his hand above, snakes of electricity surrounded him, caressing his body playfully and protectively while building quickly in intensity and power before he let it loose in a wide berth, striking everything within its radius. And unluckily, Aqualad and Beast Boy were not swift enough to dodge it as the electricity coursed through their bodies, causing them to scream in agony before they both fainted and collapsed to the ground, blacked out. The Hellion grinned as he advanced to the Titans, intending to deliver the finishing blow.

"You two stay right where you are! After all, your lesson from the Hellfire Club isn't quite finished yet!" Bevatron boasted, his hands sparkling with another blast of deadly electricity, ready to kill Aqualad and Beast Boy, but Bumblebee then launched herself at the male Hellion with a tightly balled up fist, her wings propelling her to almost sub-sonic speeds. Since she could tell the mutant's powers were electricity based, using her stingers would be ineffective considering he would either absorb or turn it back on her. And Bumblebee was far from helpless without her weapons of choice.

"And here's a lesson for **you**, courtesy of Titans East, big mouth!" she snarled, and since she was expertly flying from Bevatron's blind spot, Bevatron was unable to avoid the strike as the African American girl let loose with a ferocious uppercut.

_Pow!_

"And booyah! Sparky's down for the count!" Cyborg cheered from the sidelines as he fought against Gizmo, admirably watching Bumblebee knock out Bevatron with her single punch, sending him flying into and against the metal wall of a shipping container.

Meanwhile, the whole thing was just too much to take in for Raven as she kept chanting "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" over and over again, trying to maintain and barricade the doors to the gate in her soul, preventing the dam of inner turmoil, guilt, and fear that had been surging inside her ever since she was fully aware of her sixteenth birthday today.

The Mark of Scath, the prophecy of her and her father, the return of Slade from the dead…it was just too much to take in at once.

Raven hugged herself, trying to desperately erase the numbness in her soul, the fear and dawning comprehension that Slade's return was because of her, her voice strangled in a half-sob, "I…I just want this day to end!"

"I think we both know that this day is far from over," a voice rang behind her. Raven gasped as she whirled around to see Slade standing behind her, his eye gleaming maliciously.

His voice was slightly amused, as if this was nothing more than a game to him, his toying with Raven's mind and self-loathing, as he said, "Hello birthday girl…ready for your present?"

Raven felt her anger, her desperation, send bile bubbling in her throat as she stared at the Mark of Scath burning brightly on Slade's forehead. She just wanted to scream, to cry, to break down into a fetal position, but instead, she then had all she could stand as she gave into to her urge and desire to lash out.

"**_Stay the hell away from me, you son of a bitch!_**" Raven screamed shrilly, not even caring that her emotions were now growing wildly and completely out of control. She had an inkling what the message was, and she would kill Slade first rather than have him damn her peace of mind and her life. Normally, she loathed killing, but this was Slade and this was her destiny, something she would do anything to avoid and stop from coming to reality. She would do anything to change it, to force it to remain hidden and forgotten and lost forever.

_She would do anything_.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screamed, flinging her hands at Slade, and instantly, a black, clawed hand consisting of darkness and shadows coagulated from the ground out of thin air before it grasped Slade tightly like a vise, crushing him between the fingers. With a grunt, Raven flew high in the air and the hand grasping Slade followed her, elevating higher and higher above the roofs of the buildings before she then invoked the hand to bring the assassin and power-slam the man into the concrete ground with the same amount of force as a falling semi.

**_CRASH!_**

Raven sighed with relief, her body shaking, as she saw the wafts of smoke rise from the crushed rock and rubble of the pavement, thinking Slade was now nothing more than a stain on the ground. She landed back to the ground amid the battle between the Titans, H.I.V.E. and the Hellions. Yet the fear instantly returned and intensified as she saw Slade stand up from the hole and walk towards her, not even showing any signs that he was the slightest bit injured from the attack.

"I have a message for you, my dear Raven," Slade stated solemnly, like a harbinger of doom.

"**_ROT IN HELL!_**" screamed Raven. Yet before she could strike Slade again, the assassin then deftly grabbed her wrist, and for an instant, Raven was immersed with pain beyond words. Whimpering in excruciating anguish, Raven did not even see Slade's face glowing in red as her face was glowing in white. With all her strength, Raven shrieked as she wrenched her hand out of Slade's fingers, but there was a faint ripping noise as she fell backwards on her rear. She then saw that she jerked back so hard with Slade still gripping her sleeve, she tore off the fabric of her costume covering her arm, and to her horror…her gray skin was branded with red marks, the same red marks on Slade's head, the same marks of her birthright, of her father.

"No…" she gasped, the gate threatening to buckle in her mind as her self-control and assurance plummeted upon the sight of the writings on her body. Slade just looked smug.

"It has begun," he said. Raven then tried one last attempt, even surprised that she was so daring and bold enough to even attempt what she should have known was impossible.

"**STOP!**" she shrieked, and within moments, the docks and rather, the entire city froze and remained suspended in time, tinged by the slight tone of darkness as Raven's psyche and powers completely and utterly caused the medium of time to be meaningless. Raven gasped as she looked around in the eerie silence that was only moments ago filled with searing energy blasts, rants, and brawls. Her friends, all in stationary positions not physically and realistically possible, were as still as statues as they were paused in brave and courageous poses while fighting the Hellions and H.I.V.E. to the very best of their abilities. And yes, the Hellions and H.I.V.E. members were immobile as well, the shadows cast all over their bodies. Yet thankfully…Slade was petrified as well. Raven then collapsed on her knees, sobbing with a mixture of disbelief, shock, and elated relief.

"Thank you…" Raven wept, wiping her eyes and nose, "It's stopped. It can't happen."

"You are incredibly ignorant, Raven," Slade's voice broke, and Raven jerked her head up to see Slade still moving, despite after freezing time! It should have been impossible! And yet, Slade was just full of surprises as he crossed his arms over his chest, the red mark of hell burning on his forehead as he took in the quivering mess of a Titan before him.

"No…" Raven sniveled, unwilling to believe it. If Slade could still remain unaffected, after the most powerful use of her powers, then that truly meant she was in danger…

The masked man then scoffed, "Did you honestly think you could hurt me, my dear? I was given powers by the Hellfire Club and the Thirteenth Order powers that only you could ever imagine, powers that certainly dwarf over your own. But of course, your father's own influence is enough to erase everything you could ever do…"

And with that, Slade snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the time freeze was abolished. Raven was horrified to see that the one act that left her drained was undone with a simple flick of Slade's fingers.

Slade just gave a disgusted laugh at the attempt, as if shocked with gall at the fact that Raven was actually stupid enough to pitifully try to deny her heritage, as he mocked cruelly, "You might be able to stop time, birthday girl, but you can't stop me. You can't stop any of it, really."

Slade's voice was then touched with a shred of interest as he intoned, "I have to say, Raven, that when I found out the truth, I was very impressed. All this time, I had no idea about the power that was lurking inside of you, writhing and begging to break out like a newborn beast from the womb of its mother. The glorious destiny that awaits. But then again…it's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"

"Damn you…" hissed Raven with the utmost venom she could muster despite her fear eating away at her mind and senses. No, he's lying. He's deluded. This couldn't be happening. Just because Slade said it didn't mean she couldn't change her path, change what she was meant to do. She was in control of her life! It was her choice to make! She didn't want to bring the Armageddon! Wasn't that enough that it could be averted?

"Oh honestly, Raven, did you think that you could just blow the candles and make it go all away?"

"Please, let me be! I don't want this! I don't want to bring the end of the world! Leave me alone!" Raven shrieked, the pressure now starting to get to her as she was close to having a nervous breakdown.

"Today is the day it begins, my dear Raven," Slade murmured hauntingly in the area, his voice echoing eerily in the dead stillness of the night, still clearly lucid despite the sounds of the intense fighting in the background, "You've known this all your life. **It is going to happen.** And no matter how much you wish, no matter where you go, no matter how much you resist and squirm…there is nothing you can do to stop it."

"I can at least stop you!" shrieked Raven as she telekinetically lifted up several pipes and broken glass, the darkened auras enveloping them, before she hurtled them like bullets directly at the assassin. No more was she going to be merciful, no more was she going to put up with this crap coming out of his mouth. She was going to kill him, silence him for good…_anything_ to make him shut up. Yet to her dread, she was too weak to fully besiege Slade as he nimbly avoided the shrapnel before he continued to advance towards her. Yet then as a final act of a miracle…

"I gotcha!" Robin yelled as he swooped down from the rooftop using his Bird-Grappler and with the lifeline, Robin managed to neatly grab Raven around the waist and swing to the far end of the compound before the two landed far from Slade and the battle. Raven was never glad to feel the sturdy and solid Robin in her life as she held on to him gratefully, feeling hot tears leak out of her eyes. Robin set her down quickly before grabbing her hand.

"Raven, run!" and with that, both he and his friend dashed off as fast as they could, as silently as snow falling on the grass, using the cover of the shadows and of the alleys to confuse Slade from tailing them. Yet Slade just smiled to himself. Like all cat-and-mouse games, they had become the prey and he, the predator. And in all cases, the cat always won…

---

Meanwhile, as the Hellions and H.I.V.E. gathered their forces again to attack the Titans, they suddenly felt the ground quiver and tremble madly as the very terrain cracked and sent the helpers of Slade stumbling back as a wave of moving concrete, wood, and stone pushed them off their feet. Tarot then realized what this meant as she looked up.

"Oh no…" she groaned as she saw the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Joes standing side by side, either standing or hovering in the air, glaring at the Hellion with warning. It was Avalanche who used his seismokinesis to cause the tremors to send the soldiers of the Hellfire Club and H.I.V.E. flying. Yet some of the Titans were immediately suspicious of the newcomers.

"Who the hell are you?" Speedy growled as he aimed an arrow at Scarlet Witch. Wanda bit her tongue from coming off with a sharp insult or a threat to put away his weapon before she hexed it to backfire painfully into his face. Cover Girl then spoke sternly to the red-haired archer.

"Hold it, we're not your enemies, Speedy! We're good guys, and we were sent to help contain the Hellions and stop them from wrecking havoc on Jump City! Green Lantern sent us to give the Teen Titans some assistance since we've dealt with the Hellions and the Hellfire Club before!"

Cyborg then realized who their associates were as he yelled in his communicator, "Titans, don't attack them! Repeat, don't attack these strangers! They're not with H.I.V.E! I recognize them from reports me and Robin got from the Justice League! They're the X-Men and the Misfits and G.I. Joe! They're good guys! They ain't against us!"

"The Misfits?" gaped Starfire.

"And the X-Men and G.I. Joe? Whoa, talk about good timing!" Mas commented in Spanish upon hearing this, still trapped underneath the force-field See-More encased him and his brother in.

"That's good enough for me! You guys came just in time! We could use some help sending these creeps back to the holes where they crawled out of!" Bumblebee as she let loose several discharges from her yellow energy stingers at Tarot who blocked it with an energy barrier she called forth with her Shield tarot card.

"Everyone, move out!" Wolverine commanded as he, the X-Men, the Misfits, the Joes, and the remaining Titans charged with renewed force and vitality. Xi and X23 immediately set themselves upon Mammoth, but undaunted, Mammoth picked up one of the nearby cargo containers before he swung it like a baseball bat. Rina gasped as she managed to duck and twist her upper torso backwards, the gigantic metal box missing her head by several inches, but the lizard-like Misfit was not so lucky as the very corner of the container clipped him painfully in the side, and squealing, Xi was sent crashing back into several crates.

"Xi!" cried out Rina in alarm and worry before she snarled, her eyes making her vision cloud red with bloodlust and violence, drawing out her claws with a _snikt_, "You are going to pay for what you did to my friend, you furry ape!"

"Bring it, pretty girl!" sneered Mammoth as X23 lunged at him, actually managing to sever chunks of the container in the H.I.V.E. student's hands before it could actually strike her with her claws. At the same time, Low Light managed to protect Cyborg from being decapitated by Private HIVE's shield as the Joe transformed his body into adamantium to act as a guard against the incoming discus.

_Clang!_

Flying high into the air in a graceful bound before landing uselessly on the ground, Private HIVE's yellow, metal, razor-sharp Frisbee ricocheted off Low Light's chest, leaving the H.I.V.E. teenager weaponless.

"Looks like you've just lost your toy, Private," Low Light grinned as Jean then picked up the student with her telekinesis, preventing the beefy and brawny soldier from even gaining some traction in order to either run or counterattack. Sunspot then used the small bits of solar radiation he had stored in the cellular reserves of his body as he then let loose several blasts of orange and black-spotted radiation directly at the opponent's chest. Yet to Sunspot and Jean's shock, it had no effect! Though a bit smoky, the uniform and armor of Private HIVE was barely singed! The leader of the H.I.V.E. Five just sneered at the red-haired X-Girl and Roberto.

"Ha! You think you weaklings can stand up against a manly soldier from H.I.V.E. like me? I'm practically immune to anything you bozos can throw at me!"

"Then how about a bazooka missile?" Roadblock said as he took the rather mint and modified M1A1 weapon out of the leather straps that lashed it to his back before he primed and had it ready in one, effective, fluid motion. Roadblock then aimed the mouth of the rocket launcher directly at

"Oh shit," cursed Private HIVE with wide eyes of a horrified grimace, knowing that despite the invulnerability due to his armor, he really didn't want to press his luck. Unfortunately, he was going to find out the hard way as Roadblock fired.

KABOOM!

"Not pretty…but effective!" chimed Cyborg and Sunspot in unison eagerly as they saw the hulking figure of the Private of H.I.V.E. Academy go flying backwards before landing heavily into the sea, causing a noticeable splash.

Meanwhile, See-More managed to trap Bumblebee, Dragonfly, Boom-Boom, and Magma in a force-field like he did before with Mas y Menos.

"Hey, let us out, you little Cyclops copy-cat!" Tabitha snapped as she tried to hurl a time bomb at the walls of the barricade, only to find that the explosion did little to dent the energy cage trapping them. The lanky adolescent just leered as he then used his X-Ray vision, clearly having much fun.

"Oh don't mind me, X-Girl! I'm actually just enjoying the view, if you get my drift!" he chortled. Bumblebee then guessed why.

"Augh! **_You pervert!_** See-More's using his X-Ray vision on us! Oh God, you are such a sick jackass, you know that, See-More?" Bumblebee shrieked as she used her arms to cover up her vital parts, and upon hearing this, Lina, Tabitha, and Amara also screamed with indignation and humiliation as they too covered themselves as best as they could. It was then the Fred had enough as he charged directly at the green-and-white clad African American mutate.

"You leave them alone, you little, one-eyed slug!" he roared.

Then See-More made the mistake of glimpsing upon the Blob with his X-Ray vision for an instant…

"**_AAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!_**" See-More screamed in agony as he immediately quit using his powers and rubbed his eye vigorously, hoping he could somehow claw that image out, "Oh God, oh God, oh God, I'm blind! **_I'm blind!_** Oh God, that was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen! _That was just wrong!_ Oh God, I'm gonna need therapy after this! Oh God, oh God, oh God - !"

"Oh shut up!" Blob snapped, embarrassed, as he let See-More have it with a good smack across the face, sending the H.I.V.E. member flying and crashing into a stack of wooden crates. Upon knocking out the teenager, all the shields around Bumblebee, Dragonfly, Boom-Boom, Magma, Mas and Menos vanished, bursting like a bubble on a needle tip.

"Thanks, Blob!" Amara called out as she and the other girls rushed out, ready to help their friends fight. Toad and Quicksilver helped out Mas y Menos in the distance.

At the same moment, Starfire was preventing the Hellion, Beef, from attacking Cyborg with a lamp-post he managed to rip out from the surrounding area…

"You shall not dishonor my friend Cyborg any longer with your sneak attacks!" Starfire shouted with promised vengeance, instantly coming to Cyborg's defense, as she then let loose a continuous stream of emerald-toned energy from her hands, and had Beef not dodged at the last second, he would have instantly been blasted through the floor and into the waters of the bay underneath. Then the blond-haired Roulette sent a black hex-energy bolt directly at the extraterrestrial's back, and Starfire screamed in a high-pitched as the energy tore through her body and ate at her senses before she plummeted from the sky and hit the ground. Roulette grinned at Beef.

"She's all yours, Beef," she said simply. Beef smiled wickedly, full of ideas, as he then pinned down Starfire before she could prop herself back up, restraining her hands to the floor. Starfire gasped and tried to break out of his grip, but Beef knew that the Titan was incredibly strong due to the fact that she was from another planet, and he used he superhuman strength to pinion her to the floor even more, positioning his body on top of hers. Starfire then felt the sudden urge to throw up, nausea building up from the fact that this creep was touching her.

"My, you're a little feisty thing, aren't ya?" Beef chuckled as he managed to hold down the squirming and noticeably smaller teenage girl under him. The Hellion then decided to examine her pretty little face a little more.

"Still…I have a thing for redheads," leered Beef as he leaned closer to Starfire's lips, "Have to admit, I've never experienced an alien chick before."

Starfire then did the only thing that made sense to her, amid the revulsion and fury that was starting to percolate in her blood from the violating suggestion Beef was hinting at. Though she could have simply blasted the Hellion with her eyebeams, Starfire choose a much more humiliating and vindictive option.

With all her superhuman strength, Starfire brought her knee up and rammed it into Beef's sensitive area.

Beef's face went completely and one-hundred percent white, his eyes wide with only the special kind of pain a man can feel as his throat went dry and only a strangled, gurgle could escape from his strained voice-box, nearly falsetto. Almost instantly, his grip around Starfire's arms lessened as the Tamaranean was able to wrench her hands free before she deftly grabbed the Hellion by the neck and threw him against the wall of one of the nearby warehouses.

_Crash!_

Starfire, her eyes glowing with anger yet satisfaction as well, said stoutly to the gaping hole in the wall where Beef went right through it, "I am no Chick! I am a Tamaranean! And you know nothing of inter-galactic geography, you pig!"

Meanwhile…

"Are you two all right?" Wavedancer asked as she and Nightcrawler helped Beast Boy and Aqualad rise from their sprawled positions as they slowly regained consciousness from Bevatron's last attack. Aqualad's head was swimming painfully, as if someone shoved a pile of ball bearings in his skull, yet his vision was beginning to sharpen and clear as he glanced upwards.

"Yeah, I think so…nothing broken. Thanks for the - "

Yet he trailed off when Wavedancer and Aqualad then got a good look at each other before their faces darkened instantly with recognition…and viciousness.

"**YOU!**" they both snarled at once.

"Get your hands off me, you bitch!" Aqualad snapped.

"Gladly, jerk!" Shipwreck's daughter responded wholeheartedly, giving the Atlantian a brutal shove that sent him sprawling back to the wooden ground.

"God, I can't believe fate would bring **you** here out of all the topsiders I hate the most! Shouldn't you be over at the Pit where you and the rest of your inbred family belong?" Aqualad spat with bile as he managed to pick himself off the floor.

"Go back to the sea and sponge some more off of your uncle, you parasite!" snapped Althea back.

"_Huh?_ You two know each other?" Nightcrawler asked, a bit shocked and surprised.

Beast Boy then grinned as he teased, "Dude, are you two like exes or something? Were you two boyfriend and girlfriend once?"

"**_ONLY IN MY NIGHTMARES!_**" shouted Aqualad and Wavedancer together before they glared daggers at each other, although in this case for the Misfit and the Titan, a better metaphor would have been shooting nuclear missiles at each other.

---

Meanwhile, Robin and Raven were finally cornered by Slade inside a cathedral, the light from the stained glass windows dousing Raven with a haunting yet somewhat sacrilegious halo of rosy-colored pink and white light. Robin stood in front of Raven with his staff drawn, his mind contemplating on any other possible escape routes. Slade just stood among the flaming wreckage and smoldering rubble where he had blasted the wall and door that Robin had barricaded earlier with various bits of furniture into nothingness with just a simple flick of his hand, his fingers glowing with flame in the same shade of the mark of damnation on the forehead of his mask. Slade just emotionlessly looked at Raven before his annoyed voice then rang out forcefully, "I have a message for you…and I **will** deliver it, whether you like it or not."

"God damn you!" yelled Robin as he charged at Slade, but before he could even contemplate on the best way to pummel and avoid the possible attacks Slade could bequeath him, Slade's good eye flashed just once. With a holler, Robin was flung backwards into the wall before he crashed right through it, mercifully losing consciousness as his body limply lay among the cracked stone and mortar, blood dripping from his mouth and a deep gash on the back of his head.

"I have already been damned, Robin, so I doubt anything God could do to me I haven't experienced already," Slade said simply before he advanced towards the now terrified and panicking Raven. God, she was having trouble keeping a clamp on her emotions, preventing the gate from breaking into nothingness and letting nothing hold her back as the emotions now churned so badly, her hands were literally shaking uncontrollably.

"It's just you and me, kid…" he said in a sickening voice.

"Leave me alone! **Azarath Metrion Zinthos!**" Raven screamed from the depths and pit of her soul as she summoned the church organ, ripping it out of the wall, before she flung it at Slade who merely rendered the metal and wood into ashes instantly with a stream of fire from his finger. Now at a loss, Raven summoned the energy to surround her and envelop her protectively before she teleported to the very roof, atop the highest tip of one of the turrets of the cathedral. Gasping, Raven fell to her knees, drained and weakened severely. Yet Slade somehow miraculously appeared behind her. Raven gasped as she tried to scurry away but Slade then tackled the gothic witch, pinning her down to the narrow ledge of the turret.

"You are making this much more difficult than this needs to be. The message must be delivered," he said coldly as he picked up Raven and forcefully gripped her by the shoulders.

"Get away from me, Slade! Get away! I don't have to listen to anything you say!" Raven cried.

"The skies will burn…"

"No, it won't! I'm not hearing this! You can't make me!" she cried, now tears pouring down her face.

"Flesh will become stone…"

"Stop it…" Raven's voice was now jaded, pleading.

"The sun will set in your world, never to rise again…"

"Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it! **STOP IT!**" Raven was now absolutely hysterical.

"Time won't wait forever. You can't run away from who you are…"

"I can try!"

"No, you cannot," Slade said as he ripped her cloak off, and to Raven's repulsion, terror, and dreadfulness, more of the runes bearing similar markings to the one on Slade's head were branded on her skin, glowing faintly through the torn patches of her uniform.

"What you have concealed, you now shall become!"

"Please, stop it…" Raven sobbed, now breaking and cracking, "Stop it, please! _Stop it!_"

"The message will be delivered. Your destiny **will** be fulfilled…"

And with that, as Slade gripped her, Raven felt a surge of a powerful, unbearable force course right through her. She now could see it. She saw Jump City, completely reduced to rubble underneath an ashy sky full of smoke and death, not allowing the sun to shine through and illuminate the numerous corpses and dead bodies mixed with the rubble. She saw two sets of familiar red eyes looking on gleefully as the entire planet of Earth turned brown and black from all life perishing within moments. She saw the total eclipse of the sun as the oceans died out and the air grew thick and heavy with the stench of decaying organisms as more and more people were frozen in stone, their expressions displaying fear and surprise, doomed for eternity as lifeless rocks. And within them, she saw black creatures and demons, with soulless eyes and no hint of emotion or heart as they mingled among the very statues of the Teen Titans and Titans East. And also with them…were the dead bodies of the X-Men, the Misfits, the Justice League, and the Joes, nothing more than rotting flesh and gruesome skeletons to be feasted on or discarded like diseased trash.

Yes, this…was hell. And the gate was cracking…

"No…" whimpered Raven, now crying in a frozen state of mind, her voice teary and tears rolling down her cheeks, "This…this can't be the future. It's can't! It's just a vision! It can't be real! I won't do it!"

"Yes, it is, and you know it, Raven," Slade purred seductively in her ear as he held her, pinning her arms to her sides, "Yes, look at it. Drink it in…behold, the world you were destined to create!"

"No!" The gate to her soul was hanging on by a thread…

"It is written all over your face…"

The gate broke…and immediately, the floodwaters of her soul came flooding out, engulfing her with the very emotions she had tried to sustain and suppress for all these years.

"**_NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_**" Raven howled in pain as a huge surge of energy escaped from the jewel upon her forehead before it intensified in the levels of infinity, growing bigger and bigger by the instant before all the forces of darkness in her soul formed into the shape of a gigantic raven. Spreading its wings, the soul raven flew into the air, tossed back its head, and gave a single cry of mourning, of death, of lament before it burst and exploded, sending its shadows and dark aura into the night sky before it vanished as quickly as it came. And with that, the red markings on Raven's body vanished as she went limp from her outburst with Slade still holding her.

And with a flourish, Slade gave the epitaph of his message…surprisingly, a message that not even Raven knew about.

"For darkness is the heart's true essence. The fate of the Earth rests on the Gathering of Twilight…"

Raven gasped, her body limp, at the familiar words of the mysterious "gathering". Finished, Slade said in a final, smug tone as he released the painful vise around her upper arms.

"We'll be in touch…oh, and happy birthday."

With that, Slade viciously shoved Raven off the edge, sending her to plummet to her death. Raven didn't even scream as she numbly and wearily toppled down to the ground; she was so tired, she would just wish to rest. Yet before she could hit the ground, Robin swooped down, like a true angel, with his grappling-line and expertly caught her before she could crash and die from the impact. Landing softly, Robin cradled Raven close to his body. Raven showed no emotion; she just stared off into space silently, tears running down her cheeks, traumatized.

"Raven?" Robin asked worriedly, but Raven just silently cried harder as she stiffly hugged Robin hard, unwilling to let go. Robin glared at the turret of the cathedral; Slade had vanished.

"Damn you, Slade…" Robin hissed.

---

"Whoa! What was that, yo?" gasped Toad as he, the Misfits, the Titans, the X-Men, the Joes, the Hellions, and the H.I.V.E. students witnessed the sudden discharge of a familiar black aura in the shape of a bird as it streaked into the sky and crackled with a furious backlash of dark energy before fading as suddenly as it came. The other Titans then knew who was responsible for it.

"_Señorita Raven…_" whimpered Menos, holding a hand to his mouth in dread and already expecting the worse. Slade then appeared next to the Hellions and the H.I.V.E. members, and on cue, they all started to back away.

"Hellions…H.I.V.E…the message has been delivered. Our mission is finished, so now, let us leave."

"You shall not be leaving anywhere!" yelled Starfire in fury as she, Bumblebee, and several of the Joes, Misfits and X-Men rushed directly at the assassin and his troop. Yet Slade then decided to do a final, grand performance as the Mark of Scath burned brightly. With a wave of his hands, fire literally engulfed his entire body before it coalesced and formed a gigantic mass of fire in front of him and his troop. To the heroes' collective fright, they saw the hulking mass grow and expand until it turned into an upright, humanoid fire creature, a demon of hell. Large, strapping, well-proportioned, and its head was nothing more than a flaming skull as it then gave off such an inhuman roar, it sent shivers down everyone's spines, including the Hellions and the members of the H.I.V.E. Five. And on the very center of the torso of the fire spirit was a red and black symbol of a black heart crossed out in red with a barbed "X".

"Consider this as a present from the Hellfire Club and the Organization," Slade explained steely.

"Whoa! Since when could Slade do **THAT**?" gasped Cyborg.

"If you, the X-Men, the Misfits, and G.I. Joe ever manage to survive, we will cross paths again quite soon, you deluded fools," Slade promised cruelly as he and his students started to strategically retreat.

That was when Professor Xavier had enough.

"I cannot allow that," the mentor of the X-Men said stonily as he brought his hands to his temples and concentrated his telepathy on Slade, feeling himself floating in the astral-psyche of the medium of the commander's mind, yet Slade then suddenly shot a death glare from his eye as he felt the mutant probe his mind underneath his mask. The Professor then felt like he was struck by lightning as he gasped. By God, never before had he even encountered such a structured and concrete mind like Slade's! Rigid, controlled, and no amount of his prodding could even cause the willpower of Slade to bend even in the slightest! He was even more mentally controlling and structured that Cyclops himself! Charles Xavier then tried to retreat out of the plane, but to his horror, something was gripping him and leaving him suspended. He was trapped in Slade's mind!

_Trying to use your telepathy on me, Mr. Xavier? You shall learn that my mind and psyche are not like most men_, Slade's voice coldly intoned, echoing all around Professor X as invisible forces started to squeeze the X-Man like a vise. Now cornered and defensive, the Professor increased his concentration, feeling a bit of satisfaction when he could literally feel the slight surprise of Slade of being subjected to the increasing of the mental attack. The Professor, though pacifistic and gentle, was sorely underestimated; any nemesis of his past learned the hard way that if they dared cross the line with him, Xavier would make them regret it wholeheartedly.

_And **you** shall learn that I am not like most mutants_, Professor Xavier replied just as coolly as with a final assault, Slade mentally floundered in discomfort while the Professor broke through the shields of the psychic fortress. The Professor then looked on with a mixture of bewilderment, wonder, and horror as images flew by his consciousness so fast, they were almost a blur. Despite the strenuous and forceful willpower of Slade trying to push him out, the Professor could see haunting visions of a desecrated city, turned to rubble and the citizens frozen in stone with expressions of fear and alarm etched in their faces. He saw the sun fully eclipsed, shrouding the Earth in darkness, as the very planet was slowly overwhelmed by a red, fluid mass of unholy aura, as if the Earth was being stained by a torrent of fresh blood. He then saw, as a final prophecy of doom, two sets of slit, narrowed and demonic eyes, stacked upon each other, glowing an evil and wicked crimson as two emblems burned brightly in outlines of flame and hellfire. One was a highly, stylized letter "S" with two slashes and another was a slightly modified symbol of a heart with a barbed "X" crossing it out.

A deep, inhuman voice that did not belong to Slade then snarled with power and omnipotence, "**_The gem was born of evil's fire! The gem shall be his portal! He comes to claim, he comes to sire, the end of all things mortal!_**"

Without further ado, the session ended and the sage mutant was violently hurled out. Professor Xavier came to in his own body, gasping with fright, his skin already starting to sweat, as the images disappeared. Slade looked at the X-Men's mentor and leader with absolute murder and outrage burning in his eye of steel.

"Very impressive, Xavier," Slade hissed to himself, promising swift vengeance. After all, if there was one thing Slade hated the most, it was to lose. Yet now was not the time for counterattacks, and with that, Slade disappeared with the rest of the Hellions and the H.I.V.E. students in the cover of the shadows, barely without a sound. The Professor just stared lifelessly, shaking in petrified fear, at where Slade disappeared, still unable to believe what he had just witnessed.

"The gem of Trigon…" Xavier said in the closest of a quivering whimper.

"They're getting away! We have to go after them!" Xi snarled, still eager to return some payback to Mammoth for the two broken ribs in his right abdominal.

"We can't, Xi! We have to stop that fire thing and let these baddies go on by! If we don't stop it before it goes to town, it'll burn the whole city and people will be killed all around! God damn it to hell! This fire beast is not easy to defeat! My bullets don't cause it to even retreat!" Roadblock yelled as he fired his machine gun, emptying the entire clip of armor piercing ammunition into the being of fire and lava and yet upon contact, all the metal shrapnel melted into nothingness before they could even penetrate the skin and flesh of the organism. Unaffected, the monster lumbered on.

"Dude, what are you? Some sort of 'Walt Whitman meets Rambo' freak?" Beast Boy said at the African American Joe, making a very annoyed face of exasperation before he transformed into a gigantic green elephant and sucked some water into his snout from the harbor before discharging his liquid cargo onto the flames atop of the fire demon.

"**This** coming from the green-skinned shape-shifter?" pointed out Magma dryly and rhetorically as she waved her hands at the creature, trying to force it to disintegrate with her mutant ability to influence molten rock, before she yelled over her X-communicator, "You guys! This thing isn't natural! I can't even use my powers on it to manipulate the lava around this creep and take it apart! Whatever this thing is made of, it **isn't** ordinary magma and fire!"

"And I can't use my telepathy to shut it down!" cried Jean Grey as she hovered high above, trying to strike into its inner mind and consciousness, yet finding the creature was just an empty shell, "It has no consciousness, no perception! It's like some mindless drone created just to destroy us!"

"Holy Toledo! This thing's even more powerful than the heliopath spirit that Slade summoned with the Thunder and Lightning gods!" Cyborg uttered in shock as he aimed his sonic cannon from his arm and fired, full blast, directly into the middle of the creature's chest, the energy bouncing off the Heartless insignia. Apparently, sonic energy was not that powerful against Slade's fire.

"Well, how did you defeat that heliopath the first time?" Boom-Boom asked frantically as she hurled five or six plasma bombs directly at the monster's head, only to find it just as ineffective.

"We had caused the clouds above to send down its rainwater!" Starfire called down loudly from above as she then swooped down and tossed several starbolts in quick succession, her hands going so fast, the bombardment of green energy was like the fiercest hailstorm. Upon hearing this, Storm tried to cause the clouds above to rain down torrents of water, yet it did not put out the flames. Cyclops then used his eye-beams, but it was just as fruitless as Starfire's starbolts as they both displayed little effect on the fire Heartless. Starfire then turned to the leader of the X-Men.

"Brave He-who-has-Red-Eye-Beams, what is your name?" Starfire asked, her face contemplative.

Cyclops had to slightly irk at the bad timing for introductions, yet he decided to humor the orange-skinned girl as he said quickly, "My name is Cyclops!"

"Friend Cyclops, combine your eye-blasts with mine! A unity of such attacks surely must be more productive against this gominap who threatens the safety of our teams!" Scott felt even more bothered at the redhead's unique speech patterns and he didn't even want to know what a "gominap" was, but he nodded once strongly, realizing that it could be a good idea. Together, both Starfire and Cyclops combined their attacks, and together, red and green beams of energy intertwined each other before spiraling directly upon the fire creature. Though it was slightly a bit more effective and did cause the fire spirit some noticeable pain, it was not enough to stop it fully. Avalanche then decided to help as he tried to bring down the creature by sending it to plunge into the sea water below by using his tremors to collapse the ground underneath the fire demon. Yet the creature then snarled at the earth-mover before it surrounded Lance and itself with a wall of fire, trapping the Misfit into a ring of no escape.

"Lance!" roared the Joe, Spirit, as he managed to leap into the fray before he could get cut off. Reaching into his pouch, Spirit managed to take out several capsules specially designed by Airtight back at the Pit to release a chemical upon contact with heat that would crate mass amounts of foam that could put out fires in temperatures of hundreds of degrees, Fahrenheit. With a grunt, Spirit flung the capsules directly at the fire demon, but though there was a furious discharge of foam, the fire beat was not extinguished. If anything, it got even madder as it roared at Spirit and Avalanche, intent on making them suffer for trying to directly infuriate it.

"Dad!" gasped Lance, yet the Native American Joe then got in front of Lance protectively.

"Get behind me, son! I won't let it get to you!" Spirit commanded sternly, yet he could clearly and worriedly see that he and Lance were trapped.

"Lance!" screamed Shadowcat in horror, and instinctively, the X-Girl rushed towards the wall of flames the creature had created to cut itself off from the other heroes, planning to phase through the barricade and get Spirit and Lance out of danger. Yet it was not to be. The instant Kitty's body came into contact with the red and orange heat, there was ferocious backlash of red energy, crackling like electricity, before the flames consumed her and her costume, and no matter how hard she tried, Shadowcat could not phase to escape from the fires. It was as if the demon's powers could affect anything tangible or intangible, and Shadowcat was subjected to incredible pain and agony as her skin blackened and smoked within seconds.

"Aaaaahhhh!" the X-Girl screamed, "Help! Someone help! I can't phase it off! Aaaaahhh!"

Scarlet Witch ran to the X-Man, yelling sternly, her face white with shock and dread, "Kitty, hold still! I'll try to hex it off you!"

With a grunt, Wanda summoned up a suppressing hex and invoked the chaos-energy upon Kitty's body, and thankfully, to Wanda's great relief, the flames flickered and snuffed out, vanishing into smoke. Unlike the fire demon itself, the small flames on Kitty's body were lesser in intensity enough for Scarlet Witch to smother. Yet Kitty was curled into a fetal position on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, her flesh littered with oozing pink burns and patches of charred, black skin. Even parts of her hair were completely burned off.

"Kitty!" yelled Colossus as he rushed over to her side, cradling his girlfriend in his arms protectively while the fire demon advanced towards the Joe and the Misfit, now intent on incinerating them to a fiery demise in mere seconds.

"I got her!" cried out Whitelighter breathlessly as he laid his glowing hands on the heavily injured Shadowcat, "But someone please stop that thing before it kills Lance!"

"_This_ should stop it!" yelled Wavedancer as she summoned two gigantic waterspouts with her hydrokinesis from the ocean nearby, her face darkened with utmost concentration as she held her quivering hands above her head, trying all her concentration and mental willpower to guide the twin snaking currents of water which were as wide as one of the Joes Eagle tanks. With a grunt, Althea had the blue spirals rain down on the enormous hulking mass of lava and flames and hellfire with enough force to crack a mountain in half. Squealing with rage and annoyance, the fire giant just stumbled and faltered a bit before it let out such a furious discharge of heat that the water spouts actually evaporated madly into steam before it could even come into contact with the fiend. Althea gasped in shock as Jean used a telekinetic shield to protect all the nearby Titans, Misfits, Joes, and X-Men from the extreme, scalding heat.

"It wasn't enough!" panted out Wavedancer as the creature now was on new levels of anger. With a howl, the fire spirit summoned by Slade then tried to blast Wavedancer, but then a second swell of seawater, this time in the form of a wave, struck it from behind. Althea looked up to see the Titan, Aqualad, riding on a crest of another wave while causing another one to rise from the harbor and crash into the beast again.

"Althea, combine your attacks with mine! Maybe a double water attack can put it out!" yelled the violet-eyed Altantian.

"I don't want **_your_** help, jerkface!" Wavedancer snarled poisonously. Aqualad just glared at the Misfit female soldier as he shot back coldly.

"As much as I would love to oblige to your wishes, **Puddles**," (and Althea felt her face burn even more with anger at the mention of her embarrassing nickname), "I don't think your Joe and your friend are in any position to argue unless you want them fried to a crisp!"

Biting her tongue and knowing that the Titan was right, Wavedancer summoned another, single, gigantic waterspout as Aqualad then invoked another small tidal wave, and as one, both water attacks struck the fire Heartless with full intensity. Yet to their growing realization, even the might of two water-manipulators could not extinguish the glowing demon. It was far too powerful, and the water did little to extinguish it.

Iceman then yelled at Althea and Aqualad, "Wavedancer, Water-guy, try again! I'll use my ice beams to help cool this fire thing off! Maybe the three of us can put it out!"

"Can't see any reason why not!" agreed Aqualad strongly, though he was incredibly drained and weary from using his mental force to summon so many numerous attacks of water, unsure if he could continue to keep this up. And Wavedancer herself knew that she probably only had one more good attack left in her.

Instinctively guessing that it was now or never, Razor then turned to Ray, Sam, Roberto, Jamie, and Tabitha and ordered, "New Mutants, arm your glovatrixes with the fire retardant missiles! Help out Wavedancer and Iceman!"

In understanding and familiarity from countless training, the four adolescents gave a fierce nod.

Storm then flew in, using every bit of her willpower to bring in the most piercing artic winds, snow, and ice.

"Messengers of the cold and winter, protect Avalanche and Spirit! _Freeze everything!_" Immediately, winds of abnormal and destructive levels came rushing all around the creature

"One ice arrow, coming up!" yelled Speedy from the ground as he drew the string of his bow tautly, "Might as well help you out, Aqua-shrimp, since this is a baddie too big for _you_ to handle!"

"Oh blow it out of your butt, Speedster!" snapped Aqualad angrily as he sent the wave to reach towards the heavens, ready to come hurtling down upon the target.

"**NOW!**" yelled Wavedancer as she, Iceman, Aqualad, and Storm struck at once.

"Foam missiles…AWAY!" Razor, Bezerker, Sunspot, Cannonball, Multiple and Boom-Boom yelled in unison.

"One ice arrow, comin' right at ya', big and ugly!" yelled Speedy as he let loose the shaft.

In a beautiful display of ice, water, foam, and artic winds, all the attacks struck perfectly with all the greatest force the heroes could muster. And yet…it was not enough. To everyone's dawning consternation, the fire Heartless of Slade roared, still burning brightly despite the numerous attacks meant to put it out before it continued to advance towards Lance and Spirit trapped in the ring.

"Oh no! It wasn't enough!" Sam cried out.

"Can't we do anything? It'll kill Lance and Spirit!" cried Forge.

"We can't!" Low Light shouted, "The thing's pretty much damn invincible! If it could withstand all those combined attacks, nothing can stop it!"

"Lance!" Multiple screamed helplessly, mentally begging for something, some sort of miracle.

And then, to everyone's amazement, a booming voice rang throughout the area, its voice baritone and quivering with power and noble honor as an enormous energy blast in the shape of a roaring lion's head shot out towards the fire creature from the rooftops above from a figure shrouded in the darkness, carrying a sword…

"**_GAIA!_**" the voice yelled, "**_FIST OF THE BEAST KING!_**"

**Author's notes: Can you guess who the mysterious swordsman is yet? Don't worry; like asha-man72 mentioned once before, I'm not the type to bring in a character for the sake of it. Without going into too much detail, let's just say HE is here for a big reason. You'll find out more (but not everything) next week in the chapter "Can Someone Explain What's Going On?" when the Titans, the X-Men, the Joes, and the Misfits finally discuss the mysterious matters while we see what is going on with Slade and the Hellfire Club. Until then, read, enjoy, and review!**


	4. Can Someone Explain What’s Going On?

**Author's Notes: Special thanks to Red Witch, asha-man72, L1701E, Sparky Genocide, GothikStrawberry, Dante Tigerwolf, Animation Lasi, Nikki-De-Kitty, and Adre for the wonderful reviews and e-mails! They really make my day and encourage me to write this story and continue the loveable yet insane series of Red Witch's wonderful Misfit-verse! That said, enjoy the chapter as we finally see who is our mysterious savior in…**

**CHAPTER 4: Can Someone Explain What's Going On?**

"_Dios Mio!_" gasped Mas y Menos in unison as the intense attack flashed brightly through the night sky. Quinn then gasped with horror when she managed to get a split-second energy reading with her pink scanner before she shouted the order to Jean on her communicator.

"Jean! Use a shield to protect everyone, quick! The energy reading from this attack is off the scale! Hurry, shield all of us!" Jean's heart nearly stopped at the sentence as the roaring, ethereal lion-head converged onto the Heartless. If Trinity, of all people, was worried, then that meant…

Jean the telepathically screamed in everyone's mind, her voice roaring like a foghorn, _Everyone, get down!_

With that, Jean put up the strongest telekinetic shield she had ever summoned out of thin air before in her entire life, and knowing that it was risky to depend on just Jean for the strain, all the teenage X-Men and Razor (and surprisingly, Trinity as well) summoned the Telsa-barriers from their respective glovatrixes to the highest setting before holding them aloft like umbrellas, protecting themselves and their neighbors, not caring if they were an X-Man, a Misfit, a Joe or a Titan. Blob managed to shield Dragonfly, Scarlet Witch, Cyborg, and Bumblebee while Low Light transformed into reinforced steel and shielded Cover Girl, Professor Xavier and Blind Master. Shadowcat then grabbed Colossus and Whitelighter, phasing them so that the energy would have no effect on their bodies when it caused the inevitable explosion. All this was done in several seconds right before the lion-head attack struck the fire Heartless…

"Oh holy son of a gun!" gasped Lance, his face white at the incoming missile as it approached, wondering if he could somehow summon some amount of earth out of nowhere to shield both him and Spirit, but then, to Avalanche's surprise, a large giant jumped next to him and his father before grabbing the both of them securely and roughly.

"Hold on!" the giant commanded as he wrapped his large arms around the two humans.

"What in the name of the Great Spirit?" gasped Spirit right before the Fist of the Beast King struck…

WHOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!

The fire demon roared as the glowing, translucent yellow energy engulfed it fully, swarming over the flames of hellfire like flies on honey. And as predicted, the force of the discharge was enough to nearly knock everyone off their feet and go flying from the sudden increase of winds all around them, yet thanks to the intervention of Jean and several of the heroes, everyone was relatively safe. The creature writhed in agony as the Fist of the Beast King attack tore it apart, mortally injuring it as the temperature and the fires lessened in intensity and plummeted rapidly upon the mysterious blast. Even the nearby metal shipping containers and buildings crumbled and were crushed from the explosion. Blind Master gasped as he sensed the spiritual presence.

"This is no ordinary attack! It's _ki_ energy, energy of a soul, and a very powerful one at that!" the Joe ninja exclaimed in a mixture of wonder and shock.

"I don't give a crap what it is! Where's Spirit and Avalanche?" roared Low Light in worry as the monster Slade had created perished with a mighty wail, collapsing and withering into a small cloud of smoke and ash as it disintegrated into nothingness. In less than a minute, the fire abomination was completely erased, the heat gone, and all that was left was the now serene yet charred hole of where the Heartless once stood, a cool and fresh breeze from the nearby ocean blowing peacefully and gently upon the battleground. Except for the bruises and the blackened wood and strewn metal all around, there was no sign that a gigantic demon made of fire and brimstone ever came into being here at the Jump City docks. However, while the creature was nowhere to be found …so were Spirit and Lance.

It was amazing how much everyone was horrified and completely frantic in a matter of seconds the instant they realized that their friends had disappeared.

"Oh no!" Boom-Boom cried out, covering her mouth with both of her gloved hands, "They're gone! Rocky and Spirit are gone!"

"But…but they couldn't be - !" Roadblock stammered, his steel resolve nearly breaking, the gun going limp in his hands.

"Lance? Lance, where are you?" Scarlet Witch called out, her face white as Quicksilver was about to dash off with his speed to find the Joe and their teammate, but then Lance's voice called out in the background from behind the large gathering of people.

"You guys! Over here! It's OK! **We're all right!**" and they all turned to see that, indeed, Spirit and Lance had managed to make it out of the fires, unscathed, and though they were a bit sooty and tussled, both the Joe and the mutant teen were indeed safe and miraculously out of harm's way. And they were standing next to a huge, lofty figure that was slowly being revealed in the moonlight of the night sky…

"Lance!" gasped Kitty in joyous relief, now fully healed thanks to Whitelighter, but then she and the others stopped short of their jubilation when they saw who was standing next to Spirit and Avalanche.

Simply put, it was a gigantic, upright humanoid lion. The first thing the Titans, the Joes, and the mutants could sere was that the lion figure was towering over them; he had to be _at least_ twenty feet tall, and the stark contrast between his height and Spirit and Avalanche's heights was a bit daunting. Add the fact that the humanistic lion has a broad, muscular, built chest, arms, legs, and oversized, sinewy paws laced with razor-sharp black claws, and anyone could easily see this animal was not something to trifle with lightly, especially since he bore horrific scars on his body. Still, some of the X-Girls and even Wanda couldn't help but stare at the rock-hard, muscular curvatures of the lion's extensive form. His fur, though cropped short, was shiny and a pale yellow-ochre if not a light orange color which neatly contrasted against his tawny, wild mane and beard and the tuft of yellow fur at the end of his long tail. The lion had deep blue eyes that were glittering with anger, ferocity, and a general "mess-with-me-and-I'll-eviscerate-you-in-ten-different-ways" demeanor while his snout and muzzle were formed into a thin line of the calm caginess most warriors have gained over years of horrific warfare. His ears were long, like a deer's, with a gold hoop earring in his left one while draped around his neck was a red necklace made of red teeth and talons strung together. Though the lion was bare-chested, he wore pants held up with a black, leather belt as well as a black, studded strap of leather wound and coiled tightly around his left wrist and paw like a handwrap of a boxer. And right now, the lion was gripping a hilt-less sword with a slim, leather handle and a bronze-colored double-edged blade, as if he was ready to use it should the fire demon have somehow survived the energy blast. Yet upon finding it satisfactorily subjugated, the lion then smoothly sheathed the sword into the scabbard lashed behind his back with barely a noise, his movements fluid and practiced, like a true warrior.

Out of all the possible things the heroes had expected to come to their aid when they saw the attack blitz the fire demon Slade had summoned, the lion was certainly not one of them.

"Whoa! Dude!" marveled Beast Boy in fascination.

"Oh my furry stars and garters!" blurted out Beast.

"Who are you?" Shipwreck asked, his eyes wide with shock and his jaw dropped wide. The lion turned to the sailor, his face still in a slight frown but Lance and Spirit could honestly say that they could detect no sense of hostility or evilness from this lion humanoid.

"My name is Leomon," the lion-man answered in his deep voice. Spirit then turned to the heroes before they could suddenly jump to the conclusion that the stranger was their enemy.

"Don't worry, he's not our adversary! He rescued me and Lance! He jumped into the fire and grabbed the both of us before the energy could destroy us as well as that fire spirit. He saved our lives!" the Native American Joe said strongly. Still, even though what Spirit said was true, most if not all the group were incredibly defensive and suspicious of the lion, especially since he was probably the one who threw the blast that destroyed the fire monster and endangered Lance and Spirit's lives in the first place.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Robin called out in the background as he and a still shaken Raven rushed behind, her cloak and uniform now tattered with rips and holes (but to her relief, the red markings and runes Slade had caused to appear no longer were visible).

"Robin!" gasped Starfire in relief as her two teammates approached the congregation. Robin and Raven were then both shocked to see the X-Men, the Misfits, the Joes mingling in the crowd along with the Titans, but they were even more stunned when they spotted Leomon. And Raven wasn't enjoying the way the brawny animal was frowning upon her, deep rumbles growling lowly from the back of his throat. Leomon then ambled his way towards Raven, his face completely dark and his eyes glittering with vicious mercilessness. Spirit was taken aback to see how quickly the lion-humanoid was able to switch his previous demeanor all of a sudden. And he wasn't the only one who noticed this…

"_Uh-uh_, back off kitty-kat," warned Cyborg in a calm yet dangerous voice as he and the rest of the Titans rushed in front of Leomon, blocking his path to Raven and with their weapons drawn out, "You try hurting our little Raven, and you're gonna find yourself painfully de-clawed, if you get my drift."

"We'll also have no problem removing other body parts of yours as well if you still want to fight us," Robin said lowly, his staff now drawn. Raven was just standing as still as a statue, a look of fear, dismay, and grief etched on her face as she positively withered underneath the lion's stern glare. Leomon crossed his arms as he then coldly addressed to the Titans.

"Don't jump to conclusions, kids," he rumbled, "I don't take pleasure in attacking children or those who are weaker than I am. There's no honor in that."

"Then back off!" Mas y Menos snarled in Spanish, but this time, everyone could guess what the two Hispanic twins were trying to communicate, so Leomon took two steps back to show that he was submitting to their wishes and that he had no desire to fight…for now. The Titans and Titans East then relaxed a bit. The X-Men, the Misfits, and G.I. Joe looked on the scene with a mixture of circumspection and amusement (it was a little humorous to see a twenty-something tall behemoth trying to avoid a brawl with kids who at best only reach slightly above the lion's kneecaps). Speedy of Titans East then turned his attention to the crowd watching.

"Uh…so can someone explain what's going on? Who are you guys specifically and why are you here?" Speedy inquired a bit warily, still eying the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Joes with some confusion. Robin, however, was able to deduce several parts about tonight's events with his quick logic.

"I think they're here to investigate those unknown teenagers that were accompanying Slade and H.I.V.E.," Robin said. Cover Girl, Wolverine, and Professor X all raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed that the Boy Wonder came to the conclusion so quickly.

"Yeah, you're right on that one, bub," Logan snorted as he lit a cigar he kept in his uniform pocket, "We were sent by Green Lantern because he and the other members of the Justice League discovered that the Hellfire Club sent their Hellions to give you guys a hard time. Since we dealt with those jackasses before, the Justice League figured we could do a world of good by being here."

"The Hellions?" echoed Cyborg in disbelief.

The Teen Titans and Titans East then just listened as Wolverine, Xavier, Cyclops, Spirit, Blind Master and Beast explained to the ten teenagers in further detail why they were in Jump City and their suspicions. Though several such as Cyborg, Bumblebee, and Robin were briefed very thoroughly by reports from the Justice League (and all of the Titans paid the Flash a **very** generous amount for a tape of Batman being bested by Trinity), the other Titans have only heard about the Misfits, the X-Men, and G.I. Joe through tabloids, word-of-mouth, or the television, so meeting the three strange associations face-to-face was quite informative and helpful. Of course, it wasn't lost to everyone that Wavedancer and Aqualad were glaring at each other poisonously during the discussion, but thankfully, nothing happened from it.

"Well, whatever the reason, it was a good thing you guys came to help us out. We **really** needed it," Cyborg said at last. Aqualad gave a soft, derisive snort, but Bumblebee angrily heel-stomped brutally on the Atlantian's foot for being so rude, making him shut up instantly. Roadblock then turned to Leomon who was still quietly waiting by the sidelines and overhearing every word being discussed; he had forgotten that allowing the swordsman to listen in may prove dangerous, especially if he wasn't on their side.

"And what about you, Leomon? Care to explain to us why you're tagging along?" the Joe asked in verse.

"I am here for my own reasons, Joe," Leomon said brusquely.

"But then why did you help us? I mean, we've never met the likes of you before, and I'd doubt that the Teen Titans have run into ya' as well! And now that I think about it, why should we even trust ya'? How do we know you're a good guy?" demanded Cannonball bravely.

"Word of advice, kid: don't be ungrateful to those who do you a favor," Leomon growled while giving a glower, "If it wasn't for my involvement, that Heartless would have surely killed some of your friends and allies before you could ever figure out how to vanquish it. I destroyed it not for your sakes, but because it is part of my duty, as a warrior and - "

Leomon then caught himself before he could blurt out the rest of the sentence, already mentally chastising himself inwardly for nearly revealing more than he should have.

"Heart…less?" repeated Razor, forming the unknown word on his tongue. The lion turned to the relatively diminutive kat.

"It is a term for those without hearts. That is why they are called the 'Heartless'. It is a powerful creature of great strength and not to be taken lightly, born from the darkness and evil. They can easily be identified by the symbol of the deformed heart on their bodies."

"Heartless? So you know what that thing Slade summoned was? You've dealt with them before?" Robin asked, surprised. This was certainly a boon.

"You could help us, then," Low Light said with a spike of interest. Leomon just gave the G.I. Joe sniper a disdainful glare.

"I'm sorry, but you must think that I am actually stupid and willing enough to fight your own battles. Whatever issues you have with your enemies is none of my concern," he said gruffly before he walked away.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Scarlet Witch pouted, "If you're not going to help us, then why the hell were you even here listening with us for?"

"Because I have already learned what I needed to know. Keep in mind, I did not request you Misfits and Joes and X-Men to share that information with me. You freely gave it for easy pickings for any being who wished to listen in on your conversation. I highly advise you to watch out for that in the future," the lion replied rudely as he threw Raven a final glare. The witch then wondered if the entire universe was out to get her; it just never seemed to end in the unpleasant surprises.

Leomon's snide comment rubbed Rogue the wrong way as the gothic mutant then flew into the air before she hovered herself right in front of the lion-man, blocking his path while remaining suspended off the ground.

"Hold it, sugah! You're not going anywhere till we ask ya' a few questions!" she said in a threatening manner. Leomon's eyes narrowed as several of the other heroes then uneasily tensed their bodies for a fight; they could tell this was not going to end well.

"I suggest you step aside and just handle matters that concern you, kid. Now get out of my way and let me pass," Leomon growled.

"Not without you getting a few bruises," Rogue snapped as she held up a fist before she continued to demand, "Now you better tell us what the heck are you doing here and what do you know about that big - !"

Yet Rogue wasn't able to say anything else before Leomon's paw flashed out so quickly, the X-Girl didn't even have time to flinch as she gasped in pain when the lion's hand gripped around her waist like a vise. Before she could even snarl a threat, Rogue felt herself being thrown with incredible force as she was tossed aside and crashed to the ground. Hard. With enough force to even stun the X-Girl, despite her invulnerability. Had Leomon truly wanted to, Rogue would have easily been crippled.

"Rogue!" gasped Jean and Boom-Boom as they and several others rushed over to their friend's side while Gambit, Cyclops, Wolverine and Colossus looked absolutely murderous, glaring at the lion's retreating back as he continued walking away.

"You've made a big mistake, _mon ami_," growled Gambit as he readied five, glowing kinetically-charged cards in one hand.

"Ya' mangy, overgrown furball!" snarled Wolverine as he unsheathed his claws, but Leomon regarded him coolly, not the slightest bit intimidated.

The lion said stoically without turning over his shoulder, "I told her to step out of my path, and she did not listen. You cannot say I didn't give the kid a chance to back down."

"You don't have to be such a jerk about it! You could have hurt her!" Cover Girl snapped, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at the lion's retreating back. Gambit had enough, and both he and Cyclops then let loose a combination attack, uniting the energy cards and a powerful optic blast directly into the vulnerable lion-man's back. Yet with a simple strafe, the energy blast soared past his side by several feet harmlessly.

"You missed," Leomon said snidely.

"Summers, Gambit, leave him alone!" Avalanche snapped at the two X-Men before continued to the lion.

"Leomon, wait!" Lance called out. Yet the lion-man did not even turn his head as he gave a mighty pounce and leapt high into the air before he landed on the rooftop of a nearby warehouse. Without even pausing, nimbly leapt from crown to crown until he disappeared entirely and vanished as quickly as he came. Lance just looked at the night sky numbly. Spirit ambled over to his son and laid a calm, strong hand of the teenager's shoulder.

"I didn't even get a chance to tell him thanks," Lance muttered, a bit put off.

"I don't think he wanted it, Lance," Spirit replied sagely as he tried to just make some sort of sense of the fact that he and his son were saved from being burned alive from a fire monster by a lion warrior.

"Boy, this night just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Beast Boy groaned in the background.

---

At the same time, back at H.I.V.E. Academy…

"**_Aaaaaauuuuuuggggggghhhhh!_** Will you watch it, you red-haired, dim-witted glue-sniffer? **That hurt!**" Gizmo screamed as Selinda finished dabbing a bloody scrap on the inventor's arm with several cotton-balls soaked with a powerful antiseptic.

"Oh stop whining and being such a big baby!" teased Shimmer, giggling, clearly enjoying this, as she finished placing the sterile bandage over the wound, "There, see? Good as new. And now for being such a model patient, would the 'widdle Gizmo like me to get him a 'widdle 'wolly?"

"Razzum frazzum, no-good, little…" grumbled Gizmo as he glared daggers at the annoyingly chirpy Selinda as she fished out a cherry-colored lollipop from the candy-jar of the infirmary, earning a few chuckles from Jinx as she tended to See-More and Mammoth. Upon arriving back to their school, Gizmo, Mammoth, and See-More were heavily drained and slightly battered from their run-ins with the Teen Titans, and worried, Jinx and Selinda offered to accompany their friends to the H.I.V.E. infirmary where they had been various and countless times before to treat injuries or sicknesses. The room was spacious, pure white and faintly reeking of bleach from the sterilization along with their shiny, metal cabinets now fully stocked with various medicines, supplies, and the beds now cleanly set and made with comfortable white sheets and pillows. Jinx had to marvel slightly as she bandaged a deep gash on Mammoth's head from X23's claws; the H.I.V.E. foundation must have recently gotten some hands on profitable ventures for before, all the students could see that the academy was falling apart at the seams, going into apparent disarray from a lack of funds for materials, food supplies, and maintenance. Ever since the Hellions had arrived at their institution, life has gotten slightly better for the H.I.V.E. students. They didn't really need to have such a dire urge to steal anymore…

"Thanks, Jinx. That feels a lot better…" sighed Mammoth in relief as the pain subsided to a cooling, refreshing feeling from the salve.

"So the X-Men and the Misfits and G.I. Joe came to help the Titans?" Jinx asked as she put away the bandages back into their original containers on the shelves. Mammoth nodded.

"Yeah, and though they were a rough bunch, us and the Hellions were able to hold them off while Slade was able to do his thing, whatever it was," he said.

"You mean he didn't tell you what he wanted?" Selinda asked curiously, but Gizmo answered for Baran as he stopped sucking loudly on the sucker he was given.

"Nah, but I'll tell you one thing about that one-eyed, two-faced, bug-eater: **I don't trust him**. I mean, you didn't see what that toilet-licker was able to do with those fire-powers of his, and it really freaked me out to see that weird sign glowing on his forehead. I'm telling you, I didn't like Slade when he first sent us to take care of the Titans, and I sure as hell don't like him any more now, even if he is here to help us out according to those snot-nosed Hellions! You think Raven looks scary, sometimes? Try taking a look at Slade when he summons whatever that thing was next time! I'm telling you, whatever that thing was, it was scary, something more twisted and depraved than every horror movie and flick we've ever watched! Slade could give Satan a run for 'Biggest Devil-Like Bastard of the Year' when he goes into that freaky, fire mode!"

"But how did he get those powers in the first place? That's what I'm interested in," Mammoth commented as he flexed his bruised and sore fingers. Suddenly, the five students could hear two girls shrieking in rage as they then glimpsed Private HIVE running eagerly, holding several items of lingerie and a Polaroid camera while the two female Hellions, Roulette and Tarot, were chasing after the H.I.V.E. student with absolute murder in their eyes and with promised, swift, bloody vengeance.

"C'mon, Hellions! You have to do better than that if you wanna catch this army man!" laughed Private HIVE as he dashed madly away from the various object hurled at him, "Of course, I' m just wondering if you ladies can't resist the charm of a man in full uniform!"

"More like a **_dead_** man, soon-to-be _buried_ in full uniform**_! Give us back our underwear, you pervert!_**" screamed Roulette as she kept throwing hex energy discs at the brawny teenager as he expertly and adroitly danced and darted in between the energy balls. It got to the point where Roulette was angry enough to throw various implements and objects she could manage to grab while chasing Private HIVE, including a vase, a textbook, and a hatchet (though no one knew where she got it). Tarot was quickly going through her stock of tarot cards in her hands as she kept on animatedly bringing the attacks and objects to life as she summoned them to attack Private HIVE.

"Lightning card! Axe card! Anvil card! Pepper Spray card! Fire card! Chainsaw card! **_Kill him, kill him, kill him!_**" she screeched like a banshee as the red-haired Hellion kept calling forth various attacks to disembowel and decapitate the H.I.V.E. student ten times over in thirteen different ways, but due to her reckless anger and Private HIVE's dumb luck, Tarot kept missing.

"Oh man, I know several fellow privates who would be interested in the pictures I got of you two in the showers!" cackled Private HIVE.

"They won't be once they find out which one of your body cavities we're going to put that camera in the minute we get our hands on your worthless hide, you dumb ox!" screamed Roulette as they scurried after their tormentor and went out of sight of the five students observing this in the medical ward.

"I see Private HIVE's helping the Hellions adjust," remarked See-More.

"Are you kidding? They _must_ be getting used to here! They didn't look half as mad as yesterday when the Hellions, Jetstream and Bevatron, found out that we used their designer clothes as rags to scrub the bathrooms in during our detentions!" Jinx grinned.

Then Jinx, Selinda, Gizmo, Mammoth, and See-More could hear the Hellion, Monet, screaming loudly enough to wake the dead from another part of the H.I.V.E. building.

"What's her problem?" Gizmo muttered disdainfully, his face darkened with annoyance, "Not that I actually care about Miss Prissy, here, mind you…"

See-More then winced as he explained, "Well, remember how I'm still traumatized by seeing…"

See-More shivered to himself into a fetal position, but the other four classmates knew he was referring to Blob and how See-More accidentally used his X-Ray vision on him to reveal…everything.

"Yeah? And?" Mammoth pressed.

"Well, the Headmistress said that the Hellions are responsible for the safety and well-being of all the H.I.V.E. students who they train for battle, and since Monet is an experienced telepath, the Headmistress told her to go into my mind and erase the image of seeing…him…with her powers."

"So she was able to help you?" Jinx asked. See-More made a very big wince.

"Not exactly…" he said a bit hesitantly, but his sentence was interrupted by another harsh scream from Monet in the neighboring wing.

"**_Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God! THAT is the most disgusting, most revolting, most depraved image I could have ever been cursed with! I will never view nudity again! Oh God, this is even worse than seeing Beef in his birthday suit! Oh God, oh God, oh God, get it out! Get it out! GET IT OUT!_**"

See-More then explained as the H.I.V.E. Five and Selinda could hear Monet pounding her head hard against the plaster of the wall outside the infirmary room, "See, when Monet was ordered by the Headmistress to erase the image from _my_ mind, it kinda got stuck in _hers. _And since Ms. Frost isn't available to help her, and none of the H.IV.E. students are as experienced in telepathy as Monet or Frost…"

"Yeesh," murmured Mammoth, making a sympathetic face. Normally, he didn't like the Hellions any more than the rest of the students, but even _that_ could be considered cruel and unusual.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Selinda asked her brother, Mammoth.

"We somehow get hundreds of pictures of the Misfit named Blob and hang them everywhere in the school so that there won't be a single place Monet can go here without being reminded of him and remembering seeing the mental picture of the fat lard-bottom in his full glory, thus torturing her to relive that scarring memory for life over and over again?"

"Yep…" grinned Shimmer mischievously.

"I'll start printing out the photos from the Internet," Gizmo said casually as he waddled his way out of the infirmary to his dorm room.

"Be sure to get them in poster-size, Gizmo," called out Jinx.

---

At the same time, in a secluded room at the headquarters of the Hellfire Club…

"It is done," announced Slade in his cold voice as he approached the Inner Circle, pure triumph and satisfaction gleaming proudly on his mask under the light of the candles. The other members, Blackheart, Selene, Pierce, Leland, Luthor, Emma Frost, General Eddington, Sebastian Shaw, Brother Blood, and the leading Lord Imperial, turned their attention to the assassin.

"And the gem?" Lord Imperial asked.

"The inscriptions are in place, and she knows what she must do. The prophecy will be fulfilled."

"Excellent. You have done you task well, Slade," Frost purred as she quaintly sipped from her tumbler of expensive malt whiskey, the few ice cubes lazily floating around.

Slade then said, "As long as my master is pleased, I could not care less about your affirmations, my dear Emma. A few praises from a seductress such as yourself has no redeeming value in my position. And…how fare the heroes and the Titans? Have they suffered heavy losses as I had intended?"

"Actually, it has not. The X-Men, the Misfits, the Joes, and the Titans were able to defeat the Heartless specimen you created," Brother Blood frowned at last. Slade was slightly taken aback, though he did not show it. Yet…that should have been impossible. The Heartless were invincible, created by forces that were far beyond the coils of heaven and hell, and only the powers of a Keyblade or very powerful magic could fully kill them (neither of which were at the hands of the Titans or the mutants or of G.I. Joe). And Slade was not the only one surprised; the other members of the Inner Circle were also a bit stunned.

"And how is this possible?" Pierce asked coldly to Brother Blood.

Brother Blood then conjured an image in the middle of the Inner Circle with a few choice words of magic as they were displayed as a holographic picture for everyone to see. There, in the throes of death, was the Heartless, disintegrating away into a gory mess under the fierce attack of a mysterious being…

"I see the Titans and the Misfits and the X-Men have help," Slade commented coldly as the image of a hulking and powerfully built animal, a lion, his face stern, pure steel and rock, unfaltering and courageous. Selene felt her interest perk up slightly, a sudden prick of animal magnetism. Despite being a beast, Selene could have honestly said that the lion-being was one of the finest specimens of a human male she had ever laid eyes on. However, Blackheart's red eyes widened with surprised horror the instant he viewed upon the strange anomaly.

"**_Leomon…_**" hissed Blackheart. The Superior was _not_ going to like this turn of events…

"You know him?" Selene asked sharply and coldly, able to pick up and detect the slight troubled aura in the demon's demeanor. As one, the rest of the Inner Circle turned their eyes expectantly to the messenger of the Organization. Blackheart regarded them emotionlessly with his glowing red eyes.

"**_He will be a problem if we do not execute the operation soon on the portal_**," Blackheart rumbled.

"Surely you must be kidding," grumbled Luthor, already a bit peeved that a variable threat has now come into play. This was the last thing the Hellfire Club needed as of now…

"This lion? _He_ is just one being, a single, flea-ridden animal that can be easily put down like all other strays if he dares strikes against the Hellfire Club, Blackheart," laughed Frost cruelly, finding it amusing that the so-called powerful demon of the Thirteenth Order was bothered by a mere lion. Blackheart ignored her; if the White Queen wished to underestimate the digital warrior, she would learn her mistake soon enough. He turned to Lord Imperial as he intoned coldly, his voice ill-mannered.

"**_I shall report this to Marluxia and the Superior and the Thirteenth Order, but I can easily inform you that they will not be happy to learn that he is here._**"

"Then we can simply kill him as well once we eliminate the Titans along with the Misfits and X-Men. His arrival should be of no consequence to us," Leland shrugged off.

"**_More powerful warriors have attempted at that and failed, Black Bishop. So forgive the Organization for having little faith in that promise when you cannot even destroy G.I. Joe, a mere group of mortal humans,_**" and with that, Blackheart shimmered into thin air before disappearing entirely.

"Sometimes, I truly hate that overgrown, black Treasure-Troll reject," muttered Pierce under his breath.

"Either way, I agree with our resident demon: if this…'Leomon' is enough cause for concern by the Organization, then we must ready our plans with the Titan if we ever hope to continue with '_Operation: Kingdom Hearts_'. After all our careful planning with the Phoenix Spirit, it would be disastrous if we will not be able to execute our plans with Trigon and his portal, so to speak," Shaw put in.

"Not to worry, Shaw," Eddington commented as he frowned at the screen, "Oxymandias' vision will come to pass. The portal **will** be opened. Of this, I am sure."

Lord Imperial then turned to Slade and Brother Blood.

"You two, move to the next phase with H.I.V.E. and Raven…" he ordered steely as the rest of the Inner Circle looked on warily at the image of Leomon defeating the Heartless on the monitor.

---

"But what I don't understand is how did Slade come back? I mean, dudes, _no one_ could survive being dunked in a pool of lava! Not even Terra made it out! And how the heck could he do all that weird fire mumbo-jumbo?" Beast Boy asked no one in particular. It was late at night at the Titans Tower and the Titans were gathered in the main operations center of their home, and seated among the couches and comfortable furniture were the Misfits, the X-Men, and the handlers from G.I. Joe, all of them drinking hot cocoa from steaming ceramic mugs, topped with marshmallows. The Titans and Titans East felt that it was best and safest for them to discuss matters at their base of operations, and as visitors, they invited the fellow allies into their home with great heart and honor. However, Althea made it a point to sit as far away from Garth as possible, and she kept giving him looks of the purest hate and death which was returned wholeheartedly by Aqualad. Shipwreck made a mental note to talk with his daughter; he was no fool and he certainly knew why there was tension. At the same time, Lockheed and Silkie, the pet worm of the Titans, surprisingly got along famously, and indeed, the dragon and the mutated worm were happily gurgling and squealing with odd squeaks and noises as they munched on several graham crackers and marshmallows Starfire thoughtfully laid out for them to eat on the coffee table. Side by side, it was a bit comforting for Raven, watching the two creatures play and nibble on snacks like best friends, not knowing of anything about death, horror, and evil. The mug was warm in her hands, but her hands felt cold, icy even with fear.

The Professor then leaned over and put aside his empty mug.

"Tell us everything you can about Slade and the H.I.V.E. Academy," Professor X requested cordially, bringing his hands in front of him in a steeple as he prepared to mentally take in everything the Teen Titans would be willing to share.

Obliging to their guests, the members of the Teen Titans and Titans East then explained to G.I. Joe, the Misfits, and the X-Men everything they could about their enemies. The mutants the soldiers learned about H.I.V.E., how it was a growing academy with thousands of young, gifted minds to breed future villains and how they had run-ins with the Teen Titans before in the past, especially when it was led by the tyrannical and overzealous Brother Blood. They also learned of Slade, an assassin who was, though human, not to be taken lightly with abnormal cunningness, deadly attacks in the martial arts, and the ability to coerce others to serve him. Slade was the ultimate warrior; not only did he hate to lose, but he would take every miniscule possibility to ensure that he would _never_ lose. Nothing ever escaped Slade. However, the Teen Titans and Titans East could not explain how Slade suddenly had the ability to generate tremendous amounts of fire and bend it to his will. Not only was Slade human, but he had supposedly perished when he tried to use an ex-member called Terra (a geokinetic and an earth-manipulator like Lance) to kill them, only to have Terra choose to destroy herself and him as well rather than turn on her friends. Though it was a tense peace, the Titans eventually assumed it would be safe to say that Slade was dead. Until now, at least…

"And we don't know how Slade returned or why he's after Raven," Robin muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. For clarity's sake, all the Titans felt it was best if they explained to Xavier, the Joes, and their charges that for some unknown reason, Raven was being targeted by Slade specifically.

"We also don't know how Slade got such weird powers and that symbol that's been burning on his forehead," added Cyborg.

"We've never seen it before," mused Wanda aloud, "I even studied magic and spells with my tutor, Agatha Harkness, when I first moved into the Brotherhood house, but I don't ever remember that sign on the creature or on Slade's head in any of my magic books and scrolls that I kept for my reference."

"It kinda gets worse," Brittany commented as she held up her trusty, pink handheld scanner, "We did a quick scan of the site where that Leomon lion-guy blasted that creature over at the Jump City docks, just to see if we could positively identify anything or any residual traces in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s databases or the Mainframe's databases back at the Pit or the Watchtower's databases. We couldn't find _anything_!"

"What? But…but the thing got blasted and there's traces of the places where this Slade guy burned the buildings and what not! Couldn't you find anything that could positively give us some info on what we're dealing with? I mean, you even have data on the DNA from the Furies back at Apokolips!" Pietro blurted out.

Quinn shook her head as she explained, "No, nothing! Whatever this thing is, it isn't Earthly and it's never occurred in this planet before! It's like there's no evidence that the fire monster Slade created ever existed before! It's like…I guess the best way to put it is like some kind of ghost, something that's not tangible."

"So we have no idea what we're up against or whatever is this mysterious force or benefactor that gave Slade the ability to harness fire attacks that powerful," sighed Hank.

"Not exactly," added Jake as he addressed his suspicions to everyone, "Remember what Leomon called the creature? He referred to it as a 'Heartless' due to that strange insignia they bear like some coat of arms. If we can't discover or trace Slade's mark, we can try tracing the term 'heartless' as well as that symbol."

"Far out, man," Forge exclaimed, "And Trinity, I have another idea! We can try contacting Supergirl, Batgirl, and Dr. Strange and Benny again for help on this!"

"Are you kidding me?" snorted Pietro, making a face, "You remember the last time what happened when Benny came to visit us?"

"Yeah, but Dr. Strange is a really powerful and groovy wizard, remember? And Benny told us that Dr. Strange also knows a lot about forces from other dimensions and stuff. Think about it! If there is anything about the Heartless stuff or Slade's mark, then Dr. Strange will know all about it for sure! And Benny and Dr. Strange can help us with the research if Trinity can somehow fix up a machine to create a portal to contact them with in their dimension! And Batgirl and Supergirl can help us out too! I remember them telling me that they and the Justice League know several magic users as well! Well, if it turns out Slade really is back from the dead and he has magic powers and such, then we can see if any of their contacts know about it!" Forge hurriedly explained. Robin gasped, catching on.

"That's right! I forgot about that! We know Etrigan, Zatanna, and Dr. Fate! You're right, Forge! It **could** give us some clues, and if someone knows anything about the Heartless crisis or Slade's new abilities, it definitely has to be them!" Robin exclaimed.

"And building a portal to call them with wouldn't be so hard, especially if we all work on it. It can be done within a matter of days if we concentrate hard enough," agreed Daria.

"But there's a problem, though," Fred chipped in, "Even if we do find out, it won't explain what exactly those Hellion guys and the Hellfire Club's after."

"Actually, we may have a lead on that one, Fred," Xavier said gently, "I did manage to look into Slade's mind with my telepathy before I was forced out…"

Professor Xavier then explained to the attentive Robin and his friends as well as his own students, staff, and the Misfits what he saw when he probed into Slade's mind, able to recite the prophecy he heard while trying to stop Slade using his telepathy. Raven felt her heart beat faster with apprehension and dread when she heard this, cold ice sinking into the pit of her stomach. Luckily, the others were far off the mark with the guessing and interpretation of Xavier's visions…

"A gem? You mean like the M'Kraan crystal Darkseid had when he tried to harness the Phoenix Force?" Ororo asked worriedly.

"It sounds dangerous. If anything, if we can't make sure that this gem doesn't fall into the wrong hands, then we'll have to destroy it before the Hellfire Club and Slade and H.I.V.E. get their grubby hands on it. It'll be better to eliminate it so that no one could ever use that as a weapon and endanger innocents," Low Light said grimly. Raven felt like crying as she winced and inwardly flinched; Low Light would have no idea how excruciating it was to hear those words.

"So where could we possibly find this gem? Here in the city? It would make sense since the Hellions just started popping up in this place," Sam asked.

Piotr snorted, "But what are we going to do, Sam? Check out every museum and jewelry store in a city that rivals the population of Metropolis? Analyze every stone and mine that could contain a jewel or mineral or rock? It shall be like trying to search through a needle in a haystack. If anything, we'll be at a disadvantage now since it's possible that Slade and the Hellions know what they're looking for."

"I get the feeling so does this Leomon guy," Aqualad said, "If he knows so much about this Heartless threat, then he probably knows what's Slade's agenda. And considering that he just shows up around the same time we have to deal with the Hellions and the Hellfire Club, I can't say it's a coincidence that he's here right now."

"_Mien Gott!_ You're right," Kurt mused, "We do not even know if Leomon is a friend or an enemy!"

"He didn't seem that bad, yo. After all, he helped us," Toad pointed out.

"I know, Toad, but we can't be too careful," admitted Kurt, "Remember the thing about a wolf in sheep's clothing? Leomon could be pretending to help us so that we could lead him to this gem right before he turns on us and uses it as some sort of evil power to destroy the world! I mean, it's awful if you think about it! Whatever this gem is, it has the power to destroy all things mortal! That's a power not even Magneto has!"

Todd was still adamant as he still continue don, "Nah, I doubt that, Fuzzy. Leomon seems like a good guy."

Rogue snorted as she rubbed her arm on a lingering bruise, muttering, "Yeah, as if, wart farm! You ain't exactly a good judge of character! I swear, the next time I run into that overgrown housecat, I'm gonna use his hide as a new rug in my room!"

"Serves you right for going into his face like that," Xi shot out without much sympathy. Remy's eyes immediately turned cold as he got into Xi's face in a threatening manner.

"What was that, _mon ami_?" the Cajun snarled, brandishing his metal bo, "Are you saying _chere_ had that coming? Answer wisely, lizard, or you'll find Remy's staff lodged painfully in that big mouth of yours! Or really, any other body cavity will do considering Remy isn't really picky on where he can stick this!"

"Leave him alone, swamp rat!" Rina snarled at Xi's defense, much to Logan and the other X-Men's collective surprises. Rina had never argued against the X-Men before (fought or threatened them, yes), so her defense of Xi was a little out of the blue, to say the least.

"Hey, only I get to call him that, Rina!" snapped Rogue before she pointed at Xi, "And why on Earth are ya' on _his_ side for anyways?"

Rina didn't even bother taking a breath as she hissed angrily at Rogue, "Did it ever occur to you that you had no right to demand anything from Leomon? How did you expect him to react when you just got into his face like that and refused to let him leave? God, Rogue, it's just like trying to keep someone prisoner when they haven't done anything wrong! And you out of all people should know what it's like when you don't want to talk with others! You're the one who tells me how you prefer to be alone half of the time whenever you and Xi explain human social life with me! So don't blame Xi for saying how it is! God, even animals know better than to go against an opponent who's more powerful than they are!"

"Yeah, testify X23!" Pietro shouted, cheering.

"Like, shut up, Pietro!" snapped Kitty heatedly, "No one's in the mood to hear something totally stupid come out of your fat mouth, so just like use whatever you pass of as a brain and like keep a lid on it!"

"You first," quipped Pietro before he dashed off the couch with his super-speed before Kitty's fist could connect with his chin, "And you're still too slow, Kit-Kat! Maybe if you lost a few pounds…"

"I'm warning you, Pietro…" growled Shadowcat as she made a fist.

"Oh quit being so melodramatic, Kitty!" snapped Roberto in exasperation, "They could be right about Leomon too, you know!"

"Roberto! How could you? He attacked Rogue!" Amara protested, her hands on her hips. The Brazilian mutant held up his hands in surrender as he emphasized his point.

"Look, I'm not saying that the Misfits are always right and all…"

"Oh gee, that would surely kill you to admit **that**, wouldn't it, yo?" Toad griped with a sour face. Roberto ignored Todd as he continued.

"But did it ever occur to you guys that maybe this Leomon guy has his reasons for not telling us what we wanted to know? Everyone's got secrets. If he wanted to share what was going on, it would have meant that he trusted us with his reasons for being here. But just because he doesn't trust us doesn't mean that he's a bad guy; he just doesn't know us, like we don't know him. And like or not, you can't deny that he did help us with that fire thing before it could destroy all of Jump City."

"I agree! I don't see why we should be so suspicious of him. He saved our lives, so he can't be all bad," Lance defended for Leomon in a hard tone, "And if he didn't defeat that thing, then it would have killed all of us!"

"Of course, figures _you'd_ defend him, especially if he turns up being one of our enemies!" Scott shot back in a mocking voice.

"Hey, you know not everyone who saves us is doing it out of some grand plan to win us over for their own uses, Summers!" Lance snarled back, ready to fight with his fists, "And of course I'd trust Leomon considering that he saved my Dad! It was definitely a lot more than you or any of the other X-Men have done for the Joes!"

"Lance, that is enough! Stand down or it will be KP duty for two weeks! You know better than to create a scene now!" Spirit barked, raising his voice dangerously. Lance became mulish as he listened to his adoptive father and calmed down, though still a bit resentful and aggrieved. Scott had a huge, elated smile on his face, the emotions of gloating dancing across his features, but Spirit made quick work of that.

"Wipe that smirk off your face as well, Cyclops," Spirit said in a stern tone, shooting him a look directly into Scott's visor, "You are just as responsible for instigating the fight."

Cyclops' face burned into a lovely vermillion shade from being scolded condescendingly like he was a rookie or a new recruit or a child, and frankly, it made him like G.I. Joe even less (if that was humanly possible). If there was one thing Scott absolutely hated, it was being reprimanded by those with no authority over him. Yet a warning look from Professor Xavier and Logan made him keep his mouth belligerently shut.

"This happens often?" Beast Boy asked Razor as the other Teen Titans watched this with a mixture of amusement and discomfort. Jake smiled ruefully and half-heartedly.

"You'd be surprised, kitten," Jake replied.

"I suppose this kind of thing unnerves you, huh?" Cover Girl suggested to the Titans, yet Bumblebee and Cyborg all shook their heads, to the woman's surprise.

"Makes sense when ya' think about it," Cyborg answered, "This just shows they're good friends deep down."

"**_WHAT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"_** chorused all the teenage X-Men and Misfits is shock and outrage upon hearing the bicentennial's observation. Well, all except a select few…

"We told you so," muttered altogether Jamie, Xi, Justin, Rina, Kurt, Tabitha, Kurt, and Lina a little resentfully in the background, as if, to the Titans' observations, that they have voiced that same sentiment numerous times on deaf ears.

"**_OH SHUT UP!_**" their fellow teammates snapped back at the eight mutants.

"And think of it this way," Bumblebee said in a no-nonsense sort of tone, "If you guys did nothing but agree with each other and get along like everything was perfect, then that would mean you really didn't care to truly express your own thoughts and opinions to each other and just stay under some sort of delusion that nothing is wrong. Trusting a person doesn't necessarily mean you want the people to tell you what you want to hear; you also need to trust the other person to tell you what you _don't_ want to hear. Conflict and disagreements just show that both the Misfits and X-Men aren't afraid to be candid with each other. In other words, fighting's generally healthy. It's when they **_don't_** fight **_at all_** that you **_should_** be worried."

"Does anybody else find it kinda weird that just made some sort of sense in a very warped and frightening kind of way?" Shipwreck groaned. Starfire then offered her opinion, bothered at the tension and hoping she could do something to make everything happy again.

"Please, friends, let us not fight," Starfire gently offered to the bunch, her voice as tranquil as rose petals falling on spring grass, "It will truly be a sad day for the lyanerkolks if we do not wishfully give each other great happy thoughts of hugs and kisses and some strange custom that involves turning the other cheek. The lyanerkolks can die if there are no happy thoughts of great joy and love to bless our home."

Ray snorted at the orange-colored girl as he said a bit perturbed, "Um…Starfire or whatever your name is? Why the heck are you talking so weird? I mean, you act like you're new to Earth or something."

"That's because she is. Starfire's an alien, Bezerker," Speedy commented. Ray's eyes went wide with shock as he turned to Starfire.

"You…you're an extraterrestrial?" he let out in a rush, fighting the urge to point and gawk like an idiot. Starfire quizzically looked at Bezerker before she smiled and nodded, thinking that the mutant had never met an alien from another galaxy before and was simply intrigued.

"Yes, friend Bezerker, I am a Tamaranean," she supplicated modestly, so she was a bit startled when Ray backed away from her hurriedly as if she was a disgusting, contagious beast. Starfire then cocked her head to the side at the increasingly nervous mutant adolescent.

"I am sorry, is this a custom a mutant does when he or she greets a Tamaranean? Shall I do the same with you, then, friend Bezerker?" she asked, puzzled. Robin, however, narrowed his eyes at the electricity-generating redhead, already guessing the truth.

"Do you have a problem with aliens, Crisp?" he said a bit too harshly.

"Uh…no, no problem at all," Ray nervously spluttered, though it was pretty much obvious that the mutant was lying through his teeth. Robin let it pass but not before giving out a warning.

"Good, Bezerker…because I hate to tell you to keep your big mouth shut if you actually **did** have a problem with aliens."

Bezerker's face turned a nasty purple from anger and embarrassment, to which Starfire naively pointed out.

"Oh dear, I think you must have caught the ever dreadful Tamaranean Qauzartog. Your face is indeed the same color of the tasty zorka berries on my planet! Do you wish for me to make for you some Tamaranean medicine? I can ready the necessary fungus and glorg in two shakes of a lamb's horn if you desire it so," Starfire offered kindly. Ray gracefully had the common sense to bite his tongue.

"So what do we do now?" asked Piotr to no one in particular.

"Yes, what do we do?" Menos asked in Spanish, echoing Colossus, and the other Teen Titans looked at the speedster twins blankly, but then Cover Girl surprisingly then spoke to Mas y Menos is Spanish before relaying her opinions in English to the rest of the heroes.

"Simple. The Joes, the Misfits and the X-Men will stay here in Jump City until we can get to the bottom of Slade, H.I.V.E. and the Hellfire Club and what exactly are they attempting to achieve. We'll help each other out during this crisis since we have a common goal and a mutual enemy."

"You can speak Spanish? Ms. Cover Girl, that is absolutely wonderful!" gasped Mas, his eyes shining brightly. He, like his brother, was already quite annoyed with the fact that not many of their acquaintances knew how to fluently and intelligently converse in their mother language. Storm then turned to the Titans' leader.

"Is that all right with you, Robin? It would make sense to team up for this threat since this Slade character seems more dangerous than before, and with our enemies joining together, it will only even the odds if everyone from all four of our teams can do the same. If we have any hope of discovering what Slade and the Hellfire Club intends to achieve, we must team together against our common enemy."

Robin agreed, giving a single nod, saying, "It's definitely all right with me, and I think I can speak for all of us, for both the Teen Titans and the Titans East, that we have more than enough room at the Titans Tower to accommodate everyone."

"You might soon live to regret that offer, Robin. Just be prepared to have your local contractors on speed-dial for the inevitable damage that will happen to your building's infrastructure in just a matter of hours," Spirit told the masked teen in a self-amused yet weary tone as the teenagers cheered excitedly for the prospect of having a sleepover with new heroes and super-powered beings at their age. Robin and Bumblebee both gave the Joe a deadpanned smirk.

"Believe me," Bumblebee said insistently, "With our dysfunctional teammates, we feel for you and completely understand what you Joes go through with the Misfits and X-Men. _Trust us on this_."

As the Titans were chatting excitedly with prospects of hang time and fun with the X-Men and the Misfits, Shipwreck then noticed Althea stiffly leaving the recreation center with a dark look on her face, and concerned, the sailor followed his daughter quietly as he tailed her leaving the operations room and into the corridor. Wavedancer was not the slightest amused as she whirled on her father angrily.

"What?" she snapped, "Can't you see I want to be alone for a while?"

Shipwreck then sternly regarded his eldest daughter, "Althea, stop it. **Now.** It's not getting anywhere if you keep acting like this around Garth."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Althea muttered coldly. Shipwreck wasn't fooled.

"I know you're not happy, but this is not the time to hold grudges, especially if it may come down to the both of you depending on each other in the battle with Slade, Althea. I don't blame him for what happened. And neither should you," Shipwreck frowned, chastising Althea gently.

"**_You should!_** It wasn't right, it wasn't fair what his uncle did to us, did to you! How can you just stand there and not be reminded of how Aquaman and Namor didn't give a damn about us, about our feelings when that happened, how they sided with him just because he was a respected official and nobleman of the city? And Aqualad laughed in our faces when we tried to ask the Altantian Council to intervene and stop it! You remember that, Pops?" Althea snarled.

Shipwreck then looked pained, as if exposing a old wound and causing it to bleed again, as he sighed, "Althea, he was young, and he believed everything his uncle did was right and good. Remember, at that age, kids always put their relatives and parents on pedestals, and in their eyes, they could do no wrong. If Garth was given a choice between believing us and believing his uncle, of course he'd side with his family. Now he's older, and I don't think he thinks of the same way about us anymore; I think, deep down, he knows what his uncle did was wrong."

"He has a problem showing it," Althea said, her voice slightly hoarse, before she tuned her heel and walked away, not willing to hear this anymore. Shipwreck just watched his daughter, his eyes following his child with pain and regrets.

At the same, Robin was privately talking with Raven as she solemnly and forlornly looked at the sea from the window of the Titans Tower. Never before had Robin felt so helpless as he then encouraged his friend, placing a warm and strong hand on her shoulder.

Robin said with passion and promise, "We **will** find Slade. We'll figure out how he did what he did, and why he was after you. We even have the Misfits and the X-Men now eager to help us out with the Hellions and H.I.V.E. But right now, you're safe."

Robin turned back, leaving his friend some privacy, as he attended the congregation with the mutants. Raven shivered to herself before she looked at her exposed palms, and for the briefest instant, the red marks of fresh blood appeared on her skin again, displaying the language of her destiny and her heritage before they faded into obscurity.

"No…this was only the beginning," Raven whispered to herself, the haunting vision of the end of the world shoving itself into a permanent and foreboding place in her mind and nightmares.

**Author's Notes: Next Friday, the Misfits, the X-Men and the Joes finally have a relaxing vacation for once as they spend some fun and time with each other amid the general wackiness and insanity that can only come with hyperactive mutant teenagers! Check back for the chapter "Hang Time" as the Teen Titans, Titans East, Misfits, X-Men, and G.I. Joe bond with much understanding, friendship, love, and crazy-glue! Until then, read, enjoy, and continue to leave me wonderful reviews!**

**Teen Titans and Titans East (grumbles): Out of all the insane, irresponsible, and idiotic authors to write about us, we HAD to get him…**

**Misfits and X-Men and G.I. Joe (groans): Now you see what we go through with him and Red Witch…**


	5. Hang Time

**Author's Notes: Sorry about the lateness of the chapter, but I got caught in a case of real life! Still, I hope this was worth the wait because this chapter is a super-long one! I actually had a lot of fun writing this one! And to answer Dante Tigerwolf's question, "Kingdom Hearts" is a video game with a crossover between Disney characters and Final Fantasy in which you travel to different Disney Worlds and help characters fight demons of darkness while searching for the Door to the Light and the Door to the Darkness and the Princesses of Heart! I kid you not, all your favorite Disney characters from Goofy and Donald to Tarzan, Jack Skellington to Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" help you fight with magic and weapons! Trust me, you'll look at Disney is a whole new way when you see Ariel the Little Mermaid and Dumbo and Bambi kick demon butt! And the sequel, "Kingdom Hearts 2" is coming out soon! Anyway, enough rambling! Enjoy this chapter of…**

**CHAPTER 5: Hang Time**

It was duly noted by the adults that for a good, if not major, portion of their lives, the only places the X-Men and the Misfits have ever spent time in were either at the Institute or at the G.I. Joe Pit. Except for missions, the mutant teenagers and their guardians and parents rarely went anywhere outside their world due to the rampant distrust and violent fear towards mutants from the rest of human society. Though the Misfits experienced this to a much lesser extent, both teams rarely got a chance to actually have such a relaxing and fun time outside their homes before.

Thus, Robin's invitation for the Misfits, the X-Men, and G.I. Joe was like a godsend, a chance for everyone to bond, a chance for the kids to take a rest in a new environment to escape the symptoms of "cabin fever", a chance for the staff and Misfit-handlers to spend time doing something other than teaching and training…

_Crash!_

"You stay the hell away from Kitty, Alvers!" Piotr could be heard roaring in the upper sections of the Titans Tower as he tossed the coffee table at Lance who ducked before managing to tackle Piotr with a shoulder to the sternum, sending the both of the down to the ground while knocking the wind out of the Russian X-Man painfully.

"Hey, she's not a dog to be kept on a leash, jerkface!" Lance yelled out loudly enough to wake the dead as he gave Piotr a good right hook across the face while sitting on top of the X-Man, "And I didn't even try anything, Tin-Man! I was in the living room minding my own business!"

Crack! **Kaboooom!**

"Die, Shipwreck, DIE!" Ororo could be heard screaming from the laundry rooms of the tower as brief yet deafening noises of thunder vibrated through the stone and metal walls.

"Aaaahhh! Stormy, it was a joke! A joke! I didn't mean it! _Yeeeeooooowwwww!_" the G.I. Joe sailor could be heard yelping as the lightning winged him.

_Wham!_

"Oh, and I suppose Kitty accidentally phased through the floor and into the same couch where you were sitting on, you dumb sewer-rat!" bellowed Piotr as he managed to use his knee as a wrestling maneuver to flip Lance off him before delivering his other knee into Lance's stomach.

_Poom!_

"Exactly, jerkface! So get your fat butt off of me!" Lance yelled.

**_Crash! Bam! Wham, wham, wham!_**

"Aqualad, Speedy, you two stop fighting right now or else there's going to be hell to pay! Speedy, get your hands off Aqualad's neck! Althea, can you help me with this! **NO!** Althea, I didn't mean help Speedy _beat up_ Aqualad! Stop strangling him, both of you! Will you idiots quit jousting! **OW, THAT HURT!** OK, that's it, you three are in BIG trouble now!" Bumblebee was heard shrieking next door right before she joined in the fracas with her energy stingers.

Crackle! Crackle! _Boooooommm!_

Kitty was heard shrieking in the background, "Peter, stop it! **_Stop it!_** Lance is telling the truth! I did accidentally phase through the floor and went into the room with Lance! He didn't know I was coming, and I didn't know he was there! It was a misunderstanding, so please, **stop it before you kill him!**"

Wham, wham, wham!

"Toad!" yelled Sam from two floors down, "You've been in the bathroom for half an hour already! Will ya' _pul-leeeeaaaassseeeee_ finish it up and let me in! **_I have to go!_**"

"I'm busy! Go use another bathroom, Sam!" snapped Todd back, muffled from behind the sturdy door.

"All the others are taken, wart-farm, so **_give it up_**! I'm warning you, Toad! If you don't get out of that bathroom by the time I count ta' ten, I'm breaking the door down and dragging you out of there before I pound your face in!" Sam hollered, red in the face and crossing his legs in a futile effort to hold it in, red in the face.

"Sorry, can't hear you, Sam! I'm busy flushing the toilet! Hope the sounds of running water aren't too horrible for you in your predicament!" Todd teased back maliciously as the sounds of the porcelain bowl echoed out.

"**One…two…three…four…!**" raged Sam, his voice going hoarse with anger. Cyborg was hollering something fierce from the garage sector.

"Trinity, get yo' mitts off my car or else! **I MEAN IT!** Get out of there! I had the leather polished last week! Daria, girl, your butt's gonna be sore for weeks if you even think about dumping that tarnish on my upholstery! Brittany, get away from there! That's a cement-dispenser! NOOOOO! Don't point it at my car! Point it anywhere else, but don't point it at my baby! **And don't point it at me!**"

"Oh, make up your mind, Cyborg!" Brittany snapped, "Either I can point it at you or I can point it at your car! Pick one and be happy with it!"

"Quinn, hands off that buzzsaw!" Cyborg yelled frantically.

_Shhhrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkk!_ There was a falsetto scream of agony from Cyborg as he was then heard bawling.

"Auuuuuuuuugggggghhhhh! My car! My car! You ruined my baby! **WAAAAAAHHHHH!**"

"Hey, on the upside, now you have a convertible, Mr. Cyborg!" chimed Daria happily.

_Smash!_

"Yagh! My head! _My head!_" Piotr screamed in pain.

"Oh quit your whining! It was only a porcelain lamp, you metal crybaby!" Lance snapped, and from the tone of his voice, one could pretty much picture the Misfit sneering.

"You are dead, Pebble Brain! You hear me! **_DEAD!_**" Colossus hollered as he transformed into his armor mode.

"Bring it, Steel Stupid!" Lance shouted as he used his powers.

**_Wham! Bam! Pow! Boom! Rumble, rumble, rumble!_**

…and a chance to cause destruction and chaos that set a whole new level by the X-Men and Misfits' standards, thanks to the Titans' involvements. Wanda was sipping some of Raven's special herbal tea while Raven was trying to meditate next to her on the couch (though it was hard to maintain focus from her soul self when there was a scream or an explosion every few minutes). Still, Raven could secretly admit that the lack of a moment's peace did help keep her mind off the troubles currently with Slade.

"I don't know whether to be relieved or worried that there are lunatics and idiots even bigger than Beast Boy, Mas, and Menos," Raven remarked in a emotionless, uninterested and flat tone as she opened one eye at Razor trying to chase Silkie who was dashing by with the kat's glovatrix in its mouth, yet Scarlet Witch didn't find it weird that the Titan was usually so depthless. The fact that she was so gloomy and sardonically pessimistic was a little refreshing.

"Be relieved. At least you only live with **one** of those idiots. I have to deal with the X-Men and my idiot brother pretty much every day," Wanda said.

"Was that a fact or a joke? I'm usually not the joking type," Raven replied coldly.

"It's whatever you want it to be," Wanda shrugged, not taking any offense.

"I also don't do riddles," Raven flatly shot down. Wanda just sipped her tea in response.

In the meantime, Mas, Menos, Pietro, Beast Boy, Kurt, and Bobby somehow got it into their heads that they needed to prove their worth as jokesters by waging a prank war, in order to rightfully determine which adolescent would correctly be crowned King of Pranksters. Unfortunately, this was trouble for two reasons. One, the people who usually got caught in these pranks were innocent bystanders from the Titans, the Misfits, the X-Men, and the Joes who had no idea what was going on. And secondly, the aforementioned teenagers had **_very_** little self-control when it came to practical jokes…

**_KABOOOOM!_**

"Beast Boy, you are so dead!" Ray snarled, now covered with slime, as he chased after the green-skinned kid, blasting him several times with his glovatrix while the Titan was screaming bloody murder, "Come back here and die, you little green fungus!"

"My hair!" screamed Jean in the background, "It's ruined! **My hair is absolutely ruined!** Oh my God, I'm hideous! Waaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

"Tell us something we don't know, Jean!" hooted Pietro as he dashed off with the mad telekinetic, now absolutely hysterical, chasing him with a metal pipe and shrieking so loudly and piercingly that only dogs could register her voice.

"All right! Who's the wise-guys that put superglue on my glasses!" roared Scott in the background, "When I find out who did this, there will be hell to pay! You hear me?"

"I told you we should have put it on the toilet seat instead!" Mas snapped at his brother as he and Menos dashed for an appropriate hiding place.

"We can't! Nightcrawler beat us to it, remember!" Menos snapped back.

_Oh good Lord, this is humiliating! Someone get me out of here!_ Professor Xavier shouted out telepathically from one of the Titan's restrooms.

"Drake, you are a dead man, you hear me! DEAD!" roared Fred as he lumbered quickly after Bobby, smelling like the worst kind of stink bombs ever invented, with Lina flying after Fred and trying to stop her teammate from committing homicide.

"Fred, stop! Bobby at least owned up to it! And he said he meant it for Quicksilver, not for you! So please, calm down and stop before you kill him!" Dragonfly yelled, trying to soothe her friend.

"Uh…yeah, exactly!" covered Bobby awkwardly as Blob continued pursuing him, and Bobby learned the hard way that when angry enough, Fred could move surprisingly fast for a fat guy.

"Are you regretting your invitation, yet, bub?" Logan grinned, smoking a cigar in the operations center, sitting at the kitchen counter next to Robin (within Wanda and Raven's eyesight), who was currently cradling his hands in his head due to his huge migraine he was developing amid all the fighting and shouting that could have redefined Dante's definition of Hell. Robin glared at Wolverine.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he muttered murderously.

"Of course."

"Are you always this much of a jerk?" the Boy Wonder shot out. Wolverine's eyes narrowed, but he let it pass considering that Robin was going through a hard time and that he was vindictively taking pleasure in the Titan's pain.

"Course," grinned the grizzly adult, and Robin then tried another tactic as he frowned meaningfully behind his mask.

"You know, here at the Titans Tower…we have a _no-smoking_ policy," he said, hoping the X-Man would take the hint.

"Tell it to someone who cares, **Boy** Wonder," Logan drawled in his scratchy voice, leaning heavily on the counter, emphasizing the word "boy" with mocking derision while blowing out a plume of smoke. Robin the coolly did something that could only be called gutsy. With a quick flash of his hand, before Logan could even react, Robin plucked the cigar from Logan's mouth and, to the X-Man's growing ire, deftly broke the tube in half before dunking it into a nearby glass of ice water, extinguishing it with a _hiss_.

Logan's eyes went wide with shocked gall before his vision actually clouded in red at Robin who was smirking challengingly at the instructor.

The boy just put out his cigar.

The little, tight-assed boy put out his last cigar.

**_The little, tight-assed punk just put out his last goddamned cigar!_**

"Your butt's gonna be mine now, Bird-Boy," Logan growled as he hurriedly got off his stool, his tone so lethal it could have sent shivers down the spines of anyone who was listening while Wolverine's hands were twitching with fury, as if they wanted to wrap around Robin's throat and squeeze until the adolescent's head popped off. Robin's grin grew wider; now he had Wolverine's attention.

"Funny, the only one who has the right to say that to me is Batman, and if I recall correctly…he doesn't really fear you since he kicked your butt while sparring at the Watchtower, Wolverine."

Logan counted to ten, though he knew it didn't do the hell of any good. Oh, he would make Robin pay, of that he was certain. Not even the X-Kids dared be this bold, rebellious, and fresh with him, and Logan knew that it would be a cold day in hell before he let the Boy Wonder get away with this one.

Robin then offered meaningfully, goading, "Of course, I'm up for a good spar or two myself if you're not afraid, Wolverine."

"When and where, Bird-Boy?" Logan growled.

"Right now, at the gym in the lower levels of the Titans Tower." Logan's smile then turned absolutely bone-chilling at the proposal. Raven and Wanda then rolled each other's eyes at one another silently, slightly exasperated at the macho display.

This was certainly going to be ugly…

At the same time, Blind Master was talking to Spirit, Roadblock, Cover Girl, and Low Light over at one of the secluded meeting rooms for a quiet conference with General Hawk who had teleported to the Titans Tower via the Mass Device with the Titans' permissions.

General Hawk said, "I just got some news back at the Misfit Manor. Alfred Pennyworth said that he's enjoying his time with the babies, Claudius and Barney, and that he and the Joes I've sent to help him will watch over the Institute and Misfit Manor while the rest of you stay here in Jump City to help the Titans."

"How's Alfred handling the kids? Let's face it, no one misses doing diaper duty with those two for a reason," said Low Light in a wry tone.

"And I hate to think how the kids are torturing the old guy as we speak, for a wiffle bat and a tendency for trouble always comes along with Claudie and Beak!" groaned Roadblock. General Hawk smiled at the rhyme.

"Actually, believe it or not, Claudius and Barney completely adore Alfred. He sings to them, tucks them in at night, gives them bubble baths, and reads stories to them by the fireplace like any sane grandfather. Heck, he actually likes the 'Martian Hop' song, even if it's played for four hours straight! And it's not just the kids! Alfred also helps out with the Joes when they help care and clean the manor and the Institute, so a lot of the Joes also admire and like Alfred. Heck, even Beach Head respects him, and you know that's not a light statement!"

Roadblock whistled in admiration as he murmured, "Damn, he's good."

Spirit nodded before his expression became serious as he said, "Still, we shouldn't waste this chance of peace while it is here with us. We have to start preparing ourselves for what could be another major war for the Teen Titans. And I think the best thing we can do is try to figure out what Slade and the Hellfire Club is planning. I already discussed this with Professor Xavier and he and Beast agree with us. Beast has already called a few of his colleagues from renowned universities to check up on anything about those strange symbols we encountered. Heck, Hank even requested the help of Dr. Robert Langdon from Harvard to help us out." **(Author's Notes)**

"The world-famous symbologist?" Low Light asked, surprised. He heard about this guy…

Spirit nodded, saying, "Yep, and if he can't find anything about those two marks, no one can. And Xavier was able to call some of his colleagues from Muir Island and England to help investigate, and from he shared with me, Dr. MacTaggert and Dr. Cassidy were only too willing to pitch in."

Low Light then added, "Well, that's something at least. And I talked with Batman and Green Lantern by contacting them at the Watchtower. Shayera is going to try running those two symbols in their databases as well since the Justice League keeps tabs on a lot of alien cultures outside the solar system. If it turns out that Slade is working for some alien race like Live Wire did for Darkseid and the Apokolips, then the Justice League should be able to find any trace of it in their records, if we're lucky."

"And if we aren't lucky with the Justice League?" Hawk asked wryly.

"The Professor and us have already anticipated that as much as we could, General," Cover Girl said automatically, "Robin already contacted his friends, Zatanna and Etrigan to help research, and Forge is already working to receive any input from Dr. Strange and Benny if they find anything. We were lucky that Kurt was able to convince Margali Sefton and that she was able to contact them with her magic. So now, if Dr. Strange finds anything, he'll let us know through the portal machines Forge is building, not to mention ship some texts that might prove valuable to us. And Blind Master is going ask Plato and Dimetro from the Dinosaucers to see if they can find any reference to the weird mark of Slade's or the Heartless. And that reminds me, Gabriel, let Low Light talk to Allo this time, all right? Mainframe wasn't happy when you punched your fist through the monitor of the communication console after your little spat tirade with him."

Blind Master frowned darkly as he muttered, crossing his arms, "It wasn't my fault! Allo started it by insulting my ninja heritage! He said what I was teaching to the Misfits was a complete waste of time!"

"That's because you called him 'Barney' the instant you saw him on the screen, and Allo didn't appreciate being compared to a big, dumb, purple dinosaur," reminded Low Light, "Honestly, Gabe, you and Allo fight just as bad as Lance does with Peter! Just act like grown adults for once and keep your mouths shut while I see if Plato and Dimetro and the others can find anything."

"There's still one problem," Roadblock added, "Hawk, were you and the other Jugglers able to find any leads from the Hellfire Club and this new Leomon guy?"

Hawk shook his head as he emphasized, "No, we tried, but our sources were not able to find any trace of Leomon except when he first appeared in Jump City when he saved Lance and Spirit. And despite our research and intelligence reports, we can't tell what exactly the Inner Circle is planning, not to mention that if anything, we may be running some interference with our investigation on Slade and the Hellfire Club from the inside. I wouldn't put it past Eddington to have a hand in this one, I can safely say. So it looks like that unless we want Eddington and whatever spies the Hellfire Club has within the government to catch on to us, we'll have to depend on the outside sources for help."

Later in the day, despite the multiple bruises Aqualad gave him, Speedy was eagerly showing Tabitha and Xi his arsenal of specialized arrows which he had proudly developed and created himself. The bomb arrows, the bola arrows, the ice arrows, the acid arrows…all of them surprisingly complex and riddled with sensitive mechanisms and robotics to help deliver their payload on any target Speedy chose. Tabitha wasn't all that interested, but Xi was caressing each and every object, studying them with transfixed eyes and elegant care as the lizard Misfit examined all the weapons Speedy laid out of the operations table. Even then, Xi asked to see Speedy's bow which he examined with great concentration.

"This is remarkable!" gasped Xi as he lightly turned the bow in his claws, "This bow even has secret compartments for hidden razor blades and…wow, an adjustable laser beam!"

Speedy said, "Yeah, the beam I use to help guide my direction whenever I'm aiming for far away targets, and it's accurate enough to help me nail a fly with my shafts! And If I adjust the laser, I can make it so powerful, it'll cut through steel! And the bow itself took me and Green Arrow a while to make. The bow was constructed with a special polymer mixture of steel and carbon-fused plastics, which makes it lightweight and easy to carry yet hard enough to break diamond if I swing it hard enough! And the bowstring was made from reinforced Teflon with a microscopic lengthy spring coiled inside it, which makes sure my bowstring is always taut and primed and can't ever break, even after years and years of use!"

"I wish to study more of your weapons! Odd yet ingenious designs such as these could be useful to replicate back at the Pit with Airtight and Storm Shadow! I have never met a fellow hero not in the Misfits who was so thoroughly dedicated to the art of weaponry and armaments!" Xi praised.

Speedy then placed a hand on Xi's claw, saying a bit seductively, "You know, if you want, I can personally show you my room where I work on the designs and implementations for the shafts."

Tabitha immediately caught on to the hidden message Speedy was giving and she said, alarmed, "Uh…Speedy, I think there's something you should know about Xi - "

"Ah, don't be jealous just because I think Xi's more exotic than you, Blondie," Speedy waved off dismissively, "Nothing personally, but I like skinny, waif-like chicks, if you get what I'm saying. Besides, you already have a boyfriend while Xi here's single, so don't get yer panties all twisted just because I think she's cute."

Tabitha's face grew shrewd as she lifted one eyebrow. Well, at least no one could say that she didn't try. Xi giggled a bit femininely, blushing.

"So, wanna see how I built my sonic-arrows?" Speedy grinned roguishly as he offered his arm, and Xi nodded eagerly as he took the Titan's arm, and together, they both went to Speedy's guest room. Sam came by, soaking wet and with water making sloshing noises in his tennis shoes before he did a double-take and gaped at the scene of Speedy and Xi leaving together like a couple. Tabitha looked at her boyfriend.

"What happened to _you_?" she asked.

"I got into a little disagreement with Toad over the bathroom," grumbled Sam, "Let's just say that the Teen Titans are gonna have ta' fix the whole room since the sink's gone and the toilet's ain't ever going to be the same ever again. But that's not important! Did Speedy actually go with _Xi_?"

"Yep," Tabitha said in a know-it-all tone.

"As in…more than friends?"

"Yep."

"Um…aren't you going to tell Speedy that Xi is asexual?" Sam asked his girlfriend. Tabitha made a semi-amused face, rolling her eyes at the Kentucky-bred X-Man.

"To tell you the truth, I honestly think that Speedy needs to learn some things the hard way…" she said.

Meanwhile, Cyborg managed to stop himself from killing and eviscerating Trinity in several different ways thanks to intervention from Jake and Forge…

"Whoa, easy, big guy!" Forge semi-pleaded in a jaded tone as he and Razor grabbed on to the livid Cyborg's arms and used all of their collective strengths to stop the superhuman half-robot from hunting down Daria, Quinn, and Brittany, "Remember, it's totally not groovy if the Misfits find out you tried hurting the Delgado Triplets! Shipwreck and Althea'll make you pay with your head before they use your parts as scrap metal!"

"Aw, come on, yo! Just let me shoot a taser missile at them! It'll only stun 'em, not kill 'em! _Please!_" Cyborg whined as Jake and Forge managed to pin Cyborg to the ground, the tackle sending all three of them to the ground with a crash. Jake panted as he and Forge tried to prevent Cyborg from bucking them off. Yes, this one would take some time…

"I think I hear one of the girls screaming. Is it one of the X-Girls or Bumblebee or Starfire?" Raven remarked in between her chants of "Azarath Metrion Zinthos". Scarlet Witch, however, recognized the voice.

"That's no girl. That's my brother," Wanda said, unconcerned as she calmly poured herself some more hot water for her tea, ignoring Quicksilver's plight as her speedster dashed by as fast as he could in a crowded building while trying to hide from a furious Starfire who was now covered from head to toe with powdered sugar and honey, making her look like a messy, ghostly phantasm of some sort.

"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" screamed Pietro as he dashed past Roberto and Jamie who were playing _Super Smash Bros. Melee_ on the big-screen TV with the Titans' console. Lockheed and Silkie were next to the two X-Men, sleeping peacefully, looking absolutely cute as they rested, with Silkie snoring and drooling on the couch on his back with Lockheed dozing peacefully by resting his head on Silkie's stomach.

"You are a clorbag varblernelk!" screamed Starfire as she flew after the terrified Pietro, fists clenched, "No, I take that back! You are **_worse_** than a clorbag varblernelk! On my home planet, you would be named a **_vandgap cellkarnip_**!"

"Starfire, no!" yelled Jean angrily, "**I** want to kill him!"

"Do you really want to save Pietro?" asked Roberto nonchalantly as his Bowser smacked Jamie's Fox McCloud with the baseball bat.

"Maybe after one more round!" Jamie hurriedly said as his face twisted in concentration, "Ha! I got the Star Wand! Prepare to get knocked into the sky, Roberto!"

"Catch me if you can, short-stuff!" taunted Roberto as the two continued going at it.

"I shall regain my honor by having you squealing like a pig that is stuck! Prepare to taste my starbolts, you vandgap!" Starfire said as she powered up.

"Would you be terribly distraught if she hurt your brother badly to the brink of death?" Raven asked, deadpanned, at Wanda, but the red-and-black haired Misfit shook her head, grinning.

"Are you kidding? Pietro endures this pretty much every day due to his stupidity and crude humor. She might as well join the '_I Hate Pietro Maximoff_' club. We've already got a full roster that surprisingly included some of the adults and Batgirl, the Flash, and Supergirl of the Justice League."

Raven let out a small smile as she said, "I guess I can kinda relate. We have a little '_I Hate Beast Boy_' mini-club held here in among the Titans, with a full roster, secret handshake, and even a theme song that describes torturing our little Garfield in ten different ways."

Wanda remarked, "I'm surprised Robin didn't put a stop to it."

"He's the Club President," Raven said, smiling a little more. It was strange, being able to open up to the gothic girl sitting next to her, a loner Raven could tell. Just like her…

"And here's the windup…" remarked Wanda idly as Jean held a screaming Pietro in place with her telekinesis while Starfire's hands and eyes glowed to a bright, neon emerald-green. Raven couldn't help but join in the sarcastic commentary.

"And the pitch…" she commented as Starfire let loose. There was a bright green flash of light.

_Paaaf!_

"AAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" screamed Pietro in a falsetto voice.

"Home run all the way!" cheered Wanda. Raven grimaced a little at the injured Pietro.

"I don't think he's going to be able to sit down for a while…"

"Still, Pietro needs a little smack every now and then to keep him in line. As long as there's no permanent damage, it's all well and good. After all, us moody girls need to do something to keep these idiots behaved, and what better way to show our love than dishing out punishment in the most excruciating and painful ways that could leave them scarred for life and having them crying at night in their beds?" Wanda said as she sipped from her mug.

Raven raised an eyebrow as she looked at Wanda before offering the hint of a kindred smile, saying, "You know, Wanda? You and I _might_ just get along…"

---

Two days have passed, but the Misfits, the Joes, the X-Men and the Titans still could not find any trace of the strange mark of Slade's forehead nor could they decipher the riddle of the Heartless. Both symbols have been run through every database and reference that existed on the planet and in Dr. Strange's dimension, but nothing could be found.

It was a little disheartening to say the least…

Xavier, Wavedancer, Jean, Low Light and Cyclops then all suggested the idea that if H.I.V.E. wasn't going to come to them, then they would come to H.I.V.E., preferably by sending one of the X-Men or one of the Misfits as a spy to infiltrate the academy and get the information they needed but Robin and Cyborg automatically shot that one down. Not only had it been tried before when Cyborg himself posed as a new recruit named Stone during Brother Blood's rule over the school, but H.I.V.E. was thoroughly aware of such a possibility for another tactic such as that, and as a result, they would be under tighter scrutiny and not accept any new students at this time. With the Hellions and the Hellfire Club now discreetly having a hand in the academy's dealings, it would be dangerous and difficult to send one of the team members to investigate H.I.V.E. Then Mas y Menos asked Professor X if he could use his telepathy to find out what they wanted. Charles, understanding the two twins with the use of his mind-reading, then explained to the rest of the Titans that that idea, though a good one, was also impossible. Thanks to the Hellfire Club's telepaths, including Emma Frost, Slade, all the H.I.V.E students and the Hellions were telepathically shielded from his mental probes. Even if he tried to break through the shields, he could inadvertently kill one of them, and despite that they could get the information they wanted, Xavier was not willing to endanger someone's life for it.

Blind Master then asked if the Professor could try using Cerebro to track down Leomon specifically. Since the lion was the only one who knew what was going on that was not directly against them, it wouldn't do much harm to try pressuring the warrior for a little bit to reveal what he knew, especially if he didn't want whatever the Hellfire Club wished to achieve to come to pass. Xavier denied that one again since he explained that Cerebro was made to track down mutants, and Leomon, despite a few people believing otherwise, was not a mutant, thus enabling Cerebro to be absolutely useless on him. Forge and Xavier and Jean had already previously tried the first night they stayed at the Titans Tower, but there was no such luck. Leomon couldn't be found through their means. And like before, trying to harness Cerebro too intensely on Leomon could kill him as well. Jake suggested that perhaps Logan could track the lion down with his keen sense of smell, but Wolverine flatly replied that Leomon, believe it or not, didn't carry a scent, and as such, he couldn't be tracked.

It was slightly depressing. No matter what ideas they came up with, they were pretty much back to square one.

Still, even though no one could detect anything about the Mark of Scath or of the Heartless, a good point was that even though a week had passed, they have yet to see a reappearance of the Hellions and H.I.V.E. along with Slade, and in this situation, it was a case of no news was good news.

Though all they could do was wait, at least they could slightly relax and have fun with it. And Jake then pointed out, the kids could use a break and it apparently was doing a lot of good (as much as Wolverine hated to admit it).

Then came the day when Pietro, Trinity, Remy and Fred then somehow managed to smuggle several sacks of a particular instant coffee mix into the Tower via express delivery from the Mass Device…

"Oh no," groaned Wolverine when he heard the first series of explosions that rocked the building along with getting a good whiff of the familiar smell of coffee, "Chuck, Joes, it's happened again! The kids brought B.A.'s coffee to the Titans Tower!"

"Oh no," groaned Spirit and Roadblock simultaneously as they and the rest of the adults minus Hank and Jake rushed out to the operations center of the Titan headquarters only to predictably find the room and the teenagers in chaos. Everyone, the Misfits, the X-Men, the Titans, and Titans East were completely lost, drunk on the intoxicating mugs of coffee they carried in their hands while partying and daydreaming like there was no tomorrow. In fact, the only ones who weren't participating in the caffeine-high euphoria were Rogue and Raven, the two of them watching, a faces of amusement and sarcasm, the scene of their friends and teammates acting like complete idiots with enough craziness that could shoot whatever remained of their dignity down the toilet.

"C'mon, let's party people!" cheered Cyborg, his human eye glazed while his red robotic eye blinking madly like a broken stoplight, "**CYBORG'S IN DA' HOUSE!**"

A more appropriate statement would have been that Cyborg was _all over_ the house…literally. Thanks to his heightened coffee craze, the bicentennial Titan somehow got it into his head that he could dance without his arms and legs, so he set his robotic body to allow his appendages to detach themselves from his main body and scatter and dash around madly like demonically possessed body parts while Cyborg was bouncing off his butt on the floor over and over again to some weirdly remixed hip-hop music playing from the stereo.

Starfire, her green eyes glowing, was completely lost in happy euphoria as she flew around and doing barrel rolls in the air, not caring if she was recklessly casting starbolts from her hands as they powered up with larger intensities than normal. In her caffeine high, she was also singing loudly in her beautiful songs of Tamaranean folklore, which the closest it could be compared to were nails on a chalkboard in the midst of an army of howling dogs at a psychedelic 60s concert.

"Oh God!" moaned Shipwreck as he ducked a starbolt that came whizzing by narrowly close to his head, "I can't tell what's worse! Her powers going amuck or her singing!"

Robin, surprisingly, seemed unaffected as he was just standing quite still and staring intently at his reflection in the mirror. Roadblock, upon seeing that the Teen Titans leader was appearing to be quite calm and collected and controlled, came up to Robin from behind.

"Uh…Robin?" began Roadblock, but the Titan shushed him urgently.

"_Shhhh!_ Quiet! You'll make me lose my concentration!" Robin snapped while continuing to stare at the mirror.

The Joe gave Robin an odd look, already guessing the truth as he asked hesitantly, "Uh…care to tell my why? I don't know what you're doing, standing by…"

"Quiet!" hissed Robin impatiently, "I don't want to lose the staring contest with him! You'll make me blink!"

Roadblock gave a very confused and flabbergasted face as he blurted out, "But Robin, that's your reflection!"

"Don't I know it!" Robin griped, "Oh, he thinks he's so cool and calm and fantastic with that stupid mask and red costume of his, the way he slicks his hair back and grins and thinks all the girls in the world can fall at his feet! Well, I'm gonna show this phony the fake he really is! And when I win this staring contest, I'll be the number one leader! Oh but don't worry, he'll give in real soon! I've only been at this for twenty minutes and seventy-one point eight seconds, but he's already starting to lose it! I can see him cracking! I'm going to win! I know he's going to blink soon! Victory will soon be mine!"

And with this, Robin started letting out a round of "mua ha ha" which gave Roadblock the cue to back away slowly from the eye-twitching masked vigilante leader. This was something he did **not** want to deal with right now…

"Whhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" cheered Mas y Menos as they dashed around and around the adults, wearing wreaths of daisies and carrying bouquets of flowers which they spread all around the room while chattering excitedly in Spanish, the air now thick with pollen and the perfume-smell of petals.

"What are they saying?" Ororo asked, confused.

"Something about being the messengers of Spring and spreading the Goddess' flowers to ward of evil spirits while wearing tutus and grass skirts. The rest was lost on me, and right now, I don't think I want to know," groaned Cover Girl as she translated for Storm.

Bumblebee was dancing with Lina, Jamie and Ray, with the three mutants wearing yellow-and-black striped costumes exactly like Karen, laughing a storm while dancing around and around in a circle around a coffee maker which still had a half-pot full of B.A.'s brew. Speedy somehow managed to ride his motorcycle from the hangar garage, and to the adults shock and horror, without giving much concern for his safety or anyone else's, Speedy was actually riding in circles all over the operations room, leaving black scuff marks and grease stains all over the floor (and in several cases, actually managed to ride along the wall). At the same time, Aqualad and Wavedancer were fighting furiously, rolling all over the floor with their hands around each other's necks, trying to strangle their opponents. Apparently, drinking B.A.'s coffee did help Althea and Garth forget their hatred for each other; if anything, it actually made them more unhinged and violent…

"**_I hate you! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!_**" they both screamed while choking each other in their death grips.

"All right, all right you two! Break it up!" snapped Shipwreck, more angry than anyone had ever seen him, as he and Blind Master tried to pry the both of them apart.

"Where the hell is the hairball and Hank! Why aren't they stopping this!" Wolverine snapped as he was pushed backwards into the couch as Mas y Menos rushed by, hooting and throwing potpourri everywhere. Storm sighed as she pointed to the said two instructors a little ways off.

"Apparently, Logan, they can't in their current condition."

Ororo was right. Jake, with his eyes glazed and an unnaturally goofy smile on his face, was on the floor on his back, mewing and playing with a crumpled up ball of newspaper, bouncing it up and down and juggling it skillfully with all fours. Apparently, the tremendous amount of caffeine in one cup of B.A.'s brew made Jake act more like a cat and less of a human. In fact, Jake was purring and growling so contently and child-like, it was as if he was a kitten lost in a mountain of catnip. Beast, on the other hand, was dressed in full Renaissance regalia, complete with a European, poofy shirt and tunic, tights, a big, oversized green hat with a feather sticking out of it, and a sword. To tell the truth, Hank looked like a blue-furred version on Hamlet, only more oversized and a bigger ham, if that was even possible.

"Onward, ye Christian soldiers!" Hank bellowed in a dramatic English voice, waving his sword in the air like a commander during a war, "Onwards, ye brave countrymen! To arms, to arms! We must battle ye cruel oppressors of Macbeth to save the ever fair Princess Hermione and to ever so continue our quests to the Crusades of Coffee! Strike, my fellow children! Strike in the name of Klingon virtue!"

"Hank's **really** got to stop reading Harry Potter and Shakespeare while watching Star Trek," Logan groaned.

"This couldn't possibly be any more disturbing…" Low Light griped bad-naturedly.

"_Cause diamonds…are a girl's best friend!_" Beast Boy sang in a high-pitched, falsetto voice (and horribly off-key) as he danced by Low Light, wearing a red-sequined dress with pearls and a dress hat, lipstick, white gloves that came up to his elbows, nylon stockings, and oversized red high-heels that were in danger of falling off his feet while the adolescent danced a haphazard and jerky two-step.

"And every time I say _that_, these kids somehow manage to raise the bar…" Low Light groaned, cradling his forehead to his hand, grimacing at the image.

"How come you're not joining your friends?" Raven asked Rogue, deadpanned but with a twinge of interest as they watched on.

Rogue snorted through her nose a bit disdainfully, saying, "As much as I like my friends and as enticing as that coffee is, there's no way I'm gonna say it's worth makin' myself a complete idiot and acting like a loon the minute I touch that stuff. Besides, someone has ta' be the self-controlled one in this family, and God help us if it's someone else like Bobby or the swamp rat. But what about you? You haven't tried it yet…"

Raven said flatly, "I don't do caffeine."

Funnily enough, Raven **did** want to join the other Titans. As degrading and embarrassing as their current behavior was, it seemed…well, kind of fun and she had a sudden stab of loneliness at being left out. Despite her closeness with the other Teen Titans, none of them could really relate to her personality wise. She was a loner and one of the more mature figures in the group, but she never join in on the fun and games they did. There was simply no point, and to indulge herself into such carefree behavior would most likely cause her emotions to spring up and her powers to go haywire (and that was something she did **not** want to risk). Still, despite the childishness and roughhousing, Raven wished she could for once act like a normal teenager…

"Ya' know, it's all right to be different in your family," Rogue said suddenly.

"Huh?" That sentence was so out of the blue that it caught Raven completely off guard as she turned to the X-Man. Rogue was giving a commiserating yet sympathetic smile.

The gothic, brown-and-white haired girl elaborated softly, as if she knew exactly what were Raven's thoughts, "It's all right to be a loner, even in your group and team. Trust me when I can say I can relate. I mean, I love my friends and I know they'll be there for me when I truly need them, but a lot of the times…well, I usually like to be alone and not wish to join in on some of the stupid stuff they do like the pranking or playing because…it's not me. Yeah, sometimes I like ta' be a normal teenager or at least what passes for one, but then I'm reminded that I'm more different from the rest of them cause I can't touch anyone, and it kinda puts me in a funk."

Raven's eyes widened a little bit in surprise…and pity. She asked hesitantly, "Wait…so you can't touch anyone? _Ever?_"

Rogue shook her head with the ease of time and familiarity as she said, "Nah, never. I mean, with my mutation, I have to pretty much be covered up, and none of my skin can be exposed. If I touch someone, I absorb their life force, their memories, and their powers right into me, and if I hold on too long, I'll kill them. Granted, it has its uses, but…there are a lot of times I hate it. I mean, I'd give anything to be able to feel a warm hand against mine or to kiss my boyfriend and not worry about puttin' him in a coma. Every time I see someone hold hands, hug each other, it just reminds me how painful it is to live with this. That's why I usually like ta' be alone most of them time, cause I like to wallow in my misery and I don't want any of my annoying friends to try and cheer me up cause it usually makes me feel worse, especially since I'm not in the mood."

Raven's eyes softened a bit. It made her plight seem a little more bearable; at least she could touch someone. The robed witch then asked, "And how do you deal with it?"

"A day at a time, I guess, and try not ta' worry about tomorrow. Still, my friends do come around for me, heck, the Misfits included, God help me. The funny thing is, even though none of them can relate to me, they can understand me. And that's what helps me move on, that my friends can **understand** me, gloominess and quirks in all."

Raven felt herself lower her defenses even more. That philosophy from Rogue was one of the few things she herself had always struggled with. And it made her wish she was in the same situation as well. She could only imagine the horrors, the fears, the anger, and the rejection the Titans and the Titans East would go through when they found out about her secret. However, she could see that Rogue was in the same boat, if not worse off, and the feeling that she wasn't truly alone and unique was sort of comforting.

"Hmph, I guess I can learn to tolerate your company," Raven smirked slightly, and Rogue smiled, knowing that Raven meant that in a compliment in the best possible way. Rogue then gave a devilish smile as she held up a hand-held camcorder and begun to film the chaos with the adults trying to calm down the Teen Titans, Titans East, Misfits, X-Men, Jake, and Hank.

"Besides, _someone_ has to get this on tape and use it for a little blackmail should the opportunity ever come up," the X-Girl chuckled.

"You are so evil," shot back Raven but then with some afterthought, she added with a grin, "Can I have a copy? I could always use Beast Boy as a personal slave for a day or two."

"Sure, and with **this** stuff, you're gonna have Beast Boy under your thumb for at least a full month!" Rogue smiled as she zoomed in on Beast Boy still in drag.

---

The day afterwards, when all the teenagers managed to get over their hangovers and, by threats from their parents and the Professor, after they managed to clean up their messes that they made…

"Ha!" Gambit crowed as he swung his staff at Robin, but the Boy Wonder then surprisingly blocked it with his staff before pivoting his right foot, using his shin and foot to lock Remy's staff in place, not allowing the Cajun to remove it. Then with a battle cry, Robin used the end of his staff to catch Remy in the back of his left knee and with a simple push, Gambit fell backwards with a forceful crash before Robin's bo tapped him symbolically on the chest.

"Point. I win," grinned Robin as he helped Gambit up. The X-Man, however, wasn't the least bit sore about losing.

"_Merde!_" marveled Gambit at the shorter teen, "That was some impressive staff fighting techniques, _mon ami!_ Remy was trained by the very best teachers under the Guild of Thieves, and yet you were able to anticipate every one of Remy's moves at once! _Incredible!_ And Remy thought that he could take you on, _Monsieur Robin_!"

"I've learned from the best, Remy. After all, Batman taught me a good chunk of techniques taught by the codes of the samurai, but if you want, I can show you some of these moves. I can definitely say from my observation that you're quick and skilled enough to be an expert with staff fighting, and after one lesson, I wouldn't be surprised if you learned them by heart."

"Remy appreciate it, _mon ami_, but you sure that you can teach Remy so easily?" Gambit asked, touched.

"Definitely!" nodded Robin, indicating with his head to where Multiple and Cyclops were sparring in hand to hand combat, "After all, I've been teaching Jamie for only two or three lessons about judo, and look at his progress!"

"Hiya!" Jamie shouted with a fierce cry before Scott, taken by surprise at Jamie's simple yet effective pivot-swivel-strafe move, felt himself being flung over Jamie's head and crashed to the ground, slamming hard onto the mat. Gambit whistled in admiration.

"You're a good teacher, Robin."

"You OK, Scott?" Jamie asked worriedly as he helped a dazed Scott off from his sprawled position on the floor. The X-Men's leader shook his head free of the cobwebs before he smiled at the younger New Mutant.

"I'm all right, Jamie, but I'm very pleased with your progress. You will really benefit from this when you have to depend less and less on your mutant powers." The young adolescent swelled with pride at the humble acclaim.

"Yeah, and thanks to Robin, I can't wait to try out these new moves on the Hellions if we ever run into them again!" Multiple crowed.

"Trust us, that one will be a given," Althea said as she and Rina gulped down water from their bottles, exhausted and tired from their sparring, drenched with sweat. Rina and Althea had personal reasons to improve upon each other's fighting styles, and whenever the chance arose, X23 and Wavedancer would waste no time in testing each others' skills and strengths by sparring. X23, thanks to Althea, was learning quite a bit about humility and losing gracefully and patience, and thanks to the Misfit's help, was slowly being deprogrammed from her past with Hydra. Robin, at the same time, had several opportunities to view some of their fights while they were staying in at the Titans Tower.

"I'm impressed," he remarked, "Some of those moves aren't readily taught to the martial community. Althea, you learned some of the ways of the ninja, didn't you? I could recognize some of the techniques whenever Batman helped practice with me."

Althea nodded, grinning, "Yep, and Blind Master himself is a ninja master as well. If you want though, both he and I would be willing to spar and teach you some things if you want. I know for a fact you weren't able to take on Wolverine when he and you fought after you put out his cigar."

Robin blushed as he muttered, "My back and arms are _still_ sore. Rina, your Dad is certainly vindictive when he wants to dish out payback."

X23 shrugged as she replied, "That's one of his more redeeming qualities…"

"So how were you able to combine the crane stance with the knock-back, palm-strike, heel stomp combination?" Robin asked, his eyes filled with the desire to expand his mind from a ninja in training, "I tried copying that technique, but it causes unnecessary strain in my back and left knee."

Althea showed Robin, her moves fluid and graceful, as she spoke, "That's because you need to clench you toes a bit with your left foot, like what I'm doing here, see? Also, aim your foot at a ninety-degree angle away from your opponent so that it'll be easier for you to deliver your palm-strike when you twist your body, and this will easily position you in the right stance to deliver your heel…"

Robin tried it several times awkwardly before, to his pleasure, he finally managed to do it correctly under Wavedancer's ever-keen eyes. Scott then piped up, "Say Robin, is there any training room simulations in the Titans Tower? I need a chance to practice my eye-beams attacks, and I'm sort of antsy at the fact that being a few days without the Danger Room may have languished my skills a bit…"

"Actually, we do have an obstacle-war training simulation built specifically to practice fighting and warfare tactics," Robin pointed out, "It's built with the latest technology and computer systems and Omega-level A.I. units, with various stages of difficulty and situations, including the newest one, the Delta-Projectile simulation."

Cyclops gasped, his voice actually showing excitement, breaking through his usual stiff demeanor, as he exclaimed, "**WHAT?** Are you kidding! The **_Delta_**-Projectile simulation! **No way! **That's the stuff that only legends are made of! Not even the soldiers of G.I. Joe back at the Pit have ever heard about Delta-Projectile! What are the values of the parameters for the environment?"

Robin boasted proudly, "We can go up to 2.5 kilometers for the radial perimeter along with projectiles having a turnabout time of about 8.5 microseconds. And all projectiles are both laser based and heat-seeking along with physical and intangible projectiles."

Cyclops looked like he was ready to wet his pants upon this prospect as he gleefully marveled, "Robin, you have to give me your specifications! Imagine all the kinds of training we can go through back at the Institute with that project! If we manage to master that simulation, not even Magneto and his Acolytes can withstand our teamwork!"

"Wow, I don't believe it," Jamie murmured, deadpanned, at Robin and Cyclops eagerly conversing, "Scott finally found his twin…"

"Better send some mittens below, cause Remy believe that 'H-E-double-hockey-sticks' has frozen over," Gambit joked.

At the same time, Beast Boy nervously came up to Lance while the two of them were alone at the rooftops of the Titans Tower, with Lance enjoying the breeze and the view of the sea…

"Uh…Lance?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, Beast Boy?" Lance asked, turning around.

"I…I was wondering….well, I need to ask you of something…" Garfield started.

An hour later, Lance found himself staring at the statue of Terra along with Beast Boy. After explaining his request, Lance had Trinity calculate the coordinates of the cavern deep below Jump City and was able to teleport with Beast Boy to Terra's grave. Lance looked at the week-old bouquet of red roses at the feet of the frozen Terra along with the placard containing her epitaph. It said simply, "_Terra: A Teen Titan, A True Friend_". Lance felt slightly pained for Beast Boy as he looked at Terra with a sad expression of grief and hurt on his face, highly uncharacteristic for those who knew the happy-go-lucky green changeling. Despite the gift of time, Beast Boy still felt hurt and, apparently, still loved Terra.

"So…this is Terra," Lance said a bit dumbly.

"Can you…well, please?" begged Beast Boy, looking like he was ready to cry, "I mean, you're a earth mover like she was, and I remember Trinity telling me that you have the ability to use psychometry to feel the emotions of Earth, to actually empathically detect anything in the ground. Please? I know you can't cure her, but -"

Beast Boy let out a choked sob, but Lance nodded. Without a word, he laid his hands on Terra's face gently, like he was handling the face of a newborn, and just let his powers go to work, feeling the eons and eons of the testimonies of the rock and grime and dirt, the aura of so many living things living and dying by the spirit of the Earth. Yet despite the sea of various auras, Lance, to his surprise, could sense it. A blond-haired girl, her aura quiet yet overwhelming, her face giving a sad smile, one that indicated she was still grieving and that she hadn't fully forgiven herself. It was a similar smile Lance understood all too well. Yet as Lance watched on, the figure of Terra in Lance's mind nodded, as if to tell the Misfit that everything was all right. Lance smiled as broke the connection as gently as the leaf falling on the grass. Beast Boy looked on, not sure what to expect.

Lance smiled as he said gently, "She's still alive."

Beast Boy's eyes looked ready to pop out of his sockets as he looked at the petrified statue of Terra before whimpering, "You…you sure?"

"She'll be all right. She isn't suffering, if that's what you're thinking. She's a child of the Earth, and the Earth is a nurturing force, a spirit that gives life every day and that's cared for this planet more millions of years. Think of Terra being in a deep sleep, one where she doesn't feel any pain or discomfort. I can say it's safe to bet that there is a way to save Terra, but until then, she's in good hands where she is now. And from what I felt…she's truly sorry about what she did to you and the Titans," Lance said. Beast Boy sniffed a bit, his eyes wet, before he wiped his eyes with his sleeve and grinned upwards at the Misfit.

"Thanks," he said gratefully. Lance felt his spirit lighten considerably, more than it ever had been ever since he broke up with Kitty, as he smiled and ruffled the green-changeling's hair brotherly. Though it was only several days, Avalanche could honestly say he could relate to Beast Boy the most out of all the Titans. Heck, Garfield's troubles with Terra were exactly like his own troubles with Kitty.

"Any time, Beast Boy," Lance chuckled.

"My real name's Garfield, Lance. Or, you can call me 'Gar' like all my friends do. No need to always call me Beast Boy."

At the same moment, Toad was chosen to break the news to Speedy about the truth about Xi. Speedy took it relatively well…

"**_OH MY GOD!_**" they could hear Speedy screaming loudly enough for the whole city to hear him, "**_YOU'RE A 'HE'! XI'S A 'HE'! I WAS KISSING A GUY THIS WHOLE TIME! AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH!_**"

Note the word "relatively"…

"So, how was you little session with your girlfriend, Speedy?" chuckled Aqualad as he watched Speedy vigorously brush his teeth while gargling his mouth with three different kinds of mouthwash moments afterwards.

"Shut up, shut up, **just shut up**!" snapped back Speedy murderously as he shuddered before he spat out the toothpaste foam, "Oh God, I can still taste the lizard's tongue! Oh God, oh God, oh God!"

"Considering that he's really asexual, Xi has no gender, so he's really an 'it' if you think about it. Of course, the fact that he has no hormonal urges probably explains why he was brain-damaged enough to let _you_ kiss him," chortled Aqualad, rubbing it in for all that it was worth.

"As soon as I sanitize my mouth, I'm going target-practice on your butt, Aqua-jerk!" yelled Speedy.

Meanwhile, after her sparring session, Rina unluckily found herself at the mercy of Starfire and Bumblebee who were trying to drag X23 to their rooms, if not for the fact that the two female Titans were trying to pull Rina by her feet as she somehow managed to grab on to the wall.

"C'mon, girl!" Bumblebee said encouragingly, "Even your Dad and Storm said that you need to know what it feels like to put on make-up like any other normal teenager! C'mon, you'll never know what it's like unless you try it!"

"I am not going up there and spending hours putting gunk on my face!" protested Rina as she tried to extract herself from Bumblebee and Starfire's grips of steel.

"Girl, for what I pay, it's first-class gunk!" Bumblebee waved off dismissively, "Now let's show you how to pluck your eyebrows and use an eyelash crimper!"

At this, X23 lost her composure as she screamed loudly enough to raise the roof off as she tried to grab the railing, the banister, anything, to save herself from being put under hours of torture of make-up and beautification techniques.

"**_NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SAVE ME! SAVE ME! OH FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY AND SACRED, SOMEONE STOP THEM FROM GIVING ME A MAKEOVER!_**" Rina wailed as Bumblebee and Starfire pulled hard on Rina's legs, trying to have the mutant girl relinquish her grip on the wall corner, "**_XI! HELP ME, PLEASE! SAVE ME!_**"

"You want to join us, Xi? I think I have a lipstick color that'll go perfect on you!" Bumblebee asked. Xi shrugged.

"Why not?" he said nonchalantly, "I've always been in the mood to see how I look in lipstick. And I'm always willing to explore my feminine side."

"You traitor!" screamed Rina angrily as Starfire, Xi, and Bumblebee managed to yank Rina away from the death-grip she had on the wall and dragged her successfully to Starfire's room, shrieking enough swear words to make even Shipwreck wince.

Afterwards, later in the afternoon, when it was close to lunch….

"Oh, what is the occasion of this humble gathering in the mess hall?" Starfire asked as she made her way into the kitchen, only to find Whitelighter, Magma, Shadowcat, and Jean Grey there as well. Jean and Kitty were arguing a bit next to the stove which was littered with used pots, pans and the oven was letting loose a small stream of black smoke from its compartment. Amara was looking through the refrigerator for some more cooking ingredients that did not consist of leftover pizza and moldy cheese while Justin just watched on uncomfortably. Justin turned to Starfire and sighed.

"Kitty somehow got it into her head that she might as well cook lunch for everybody at the Tower," Justin stated, wincing at the thought.

"And this is not a good thing, Friend Justin?" asked Starfire as she stood next to the Misfit. Whitelighter shook his head; he heard horror stories via Pietro, Todd, and Fred about the disasters that happened whenever Kitty cooked anything. Yet the teenager then suddenly became a bit startled as Starfire was actually sniffing him (yes, _sniffing_ him) with her nose. It was as if the Titan was trying to track his scent to memory.

"Uh…what are you doing?" Justin asked uneasily and slightly bothered.

Starfire gasped happily as she clasped her hands in front of her and exclaimed, "Oh joyous days of Tamaranean sun and moons! Friend Whitelighter, why did you not disclose to me! You are a Reptilionian!"

Justin's heart nearly stopped, startled, as he asked dumbly, unsure if the Teen Titan said what he thought she said, "Huh?"

The extraterrestrial female explained with excitement, "Oh, it is a purely blessed gathering of events! I can smell the odor of the large lizards on your body! You are from one of the planets who are of neighbors and friends to the Tamaraneans! You are a survivor of the planet, Reptilion!"

Justin gasped as he brought a finger to his lips and whispered urgently, "_Shhhhh!_ Not so loud!"

"They…your friends do not know?" Starfire asked, realization dawning on her.

"The Misfits do, but not the X-Men!" Justin explained nervously, "And until it time comes, please Starfire, it would really help if you could not tell anyone that I have parents from Reptilion, that my family are extraterrestrials! Please, Starfire? Don't tell the X-Men or the Titans that my adoptive family is from another planet! The X-Men don't know!"

"I do not understand," Starfire asked, cocking her head to the side, "Why are you hiding the fact that your family is from another planet? Do you not wish to share with them in the most joyous news? The Reptilionians have been spared from extinction, and to have several persevere is surely a glorious event!"

"It's complicated. Please, just don't tell them! All right, Starfire? Please?" begged the Misfit.

"I do not understand, but I will obey what you have just requested, Friend Whitelighter," Starfire promised, though Justin could tell she was not entirely pleased with Justin's choice of omission.

"What are you guys talking about?" Amara asked suddenly.

"Uh…Kitty's cooking," Justin covered lamely, but Starfire simply nodded in earnest, going along with the white lie. Amara rolled her eyes.

"I don't blame you. God, Kitty doesn't know when to give up!" griped Amara.

"So who wants to try my homemade kidney pudding?" Kitty said eagerly as she popped up with a baking disk full of some lumpy, pudding-like substance that was peach and pink colored along with a thin black crust on top of where the X-Girl burned it. Amara and Justin looked at the dish as if it was some sort of dead animal covered with vomit and run over by a manure truck (and even **that** would have smelled a lot better than Kitty's kidney pudding).

"Uh…I had a big breakfast," lied Justin hesitantly.

"I'm on a diet," Amara quickly covered.

"Since when?" Kitty demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"Since **now**," clarified Magma just as stoutly. Kitty stomped her foot at the X-Man and the Misfit.

"Like will you two stop being such cowards and just try it? It's not going to kill you!"

"That's not what Martian Manhunter says," Amara pointed out, "He's still feeling a little queasy every time he sees anything that looks remotely like lasagna."

"Are you sure you cooked it right, Kitty?" Justin asked gently, trying to be polite as possible, "I'm not sure kidney pudding is supposed to be baked in the oven, and now that I look at it, I think you burned it…"

"Trust me, Justin," groaned Jean from behind, "Out of four tries, _this_ was her best one, and the one that had the least amount of disgusting ingredients…"

"Oh like shut up, Jean!" snapped Kitty as Starfire examined the dish of kidney pudding, "I just made a few improvements, that's all!"

Jean shot back, "Kitty, substituting olive oil with liquid smoke and Jell-O and using Cream of Wheat and seaweed flakes instead of cloves and paprika isn't an improvement! It's a cry for help!"

Kitty then gasped as she then saw Starfire tasting a morsel of the pudding by dipping her finger into it and licking it off, her face thoughtful.

"Starfire?" gasped Kitty, on the balls of her toes. Jean and Amara looked at each other meaningfully, expecting the Titan to get sick, but to their shock, Starfire squealed with delight before she grabbed a wooden spoon and dug in hungrily and eagerly, like a ravenous wolf.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Starfire squealed excitedly between gulps, "You are truly an extraordinary and much exceptional cook, Friend Kitty! This is completely fabulous of taste! I have never had a fellow Earthling cook such flavorful vork in all of my life! Oh, this is even better than the vork from the royal chefs in Tamaranean! Kitty, this is most definitely delicious!"

Jean, Justin, and Amara's jaws collectively dropped to the floor in surprise.

"What?" Jean and Amara chorused in disbelieving unison, already feeling queasy to their stomachs. Kitty, on the other hand, was completely giddy and elated. Never before had anyone complimented on her cooking and thoroughly enjoyed it so much.

"Oh, like wow, Starfire! You really mean it! You _really_ like it!" squealed Kitty excitedly, jumping up and down a little with joy in her apron.

"Can you cook more? I shall most eagerly assist you if you can show me your recipe!" Starfire pleaded with wide, puppy-dog eyes as she licked the baking pan clean with her tongue, picking up every last morsel of the kidney pudding (or what Starfire thought was "vork"). This was enough for Kitty to love Starfire; never before had any of her friends **ever** asked her to cook more (and for good reason, unbeknownst to the Teen Titan girl).

"Like sure! Come help me while I like totally prepare the mayonnaise and anchovy paste!" Kitty said, giggling like a kid lost in the toy store on Christmas as she grabbed the Titan's hands and they both went off in the kitchens, gleefully whispering the sorts of good food they would prepare for themselves and their friends. As they vanished to the sounds of clanging pots and pans and the slamming of the cabinets and refrigerator, Jean, Justin, and Amara were still standing still in disbelief, their eyes twitching in shock.

"I don't think I want to stay here for dinner," moaned Justin, already starting to feel sick.

Jean said in a rather dazed voice, "Amara, mark this one in the history books of the Institute. Someone actually _likes_ Kitty's cooking. The same cooking that caused even the Martian Manhunter to get sick from."

CRASH! All five teenagers were suddenly caught off guard as the kitchen actually begun to slightly shake back and forth, as if under the worst earthquake that could ever be imagined.

"What on Earth?" Jean asked as she, Justin, Kitty, Amara, and Starfire rushed out of the kitchen to see a daunting and certainly odd sight. There, crashing and stomping its way through walls of the operations center, was a mammoth, gigantic, multicolored robot, almost as tall as Leomon himself, flailing its legs and arms wildly as it ambled with jerky movements, with the neighboring heroes dashing away screaming and trying to escape from being trampled.

"What in the name of the gods of Nova Roma is a giant robot doing here! Is it a Sentinel!" Amara gasped.

"Not unless Sentinels nowadays looks like the Megazord robot from the Power Rangers TV show," remarked Justin. Kitty, Jean, and Amara gave the male Misfit a **very **odd look. Whitelighter blushed as he scratched his head awkwardly.

"I watch a lot of cartoons," he mumbled sheepishly. At the same time, Storm was screaming angrily at Jake, Cyborg, and Forge while Sunspot and Bezerker tried blasting the metal giant, only to have their energy blasts ricochet off the shiny surface of the red torso-shield covering its chest area.

"**_Out of all the most foolish and asinine stunts you three could ever pull, this is absolutely the worst! WHAT in the name of all that is holy ever possessed you irresponsible twits to build a robot!_**" Ororo screamed, demanding.

Jake gulped as he weakly offered, "Uh…heh heh, funny thing about that. You see, we built it, ironically, to protect the students as a safeguard defender should we ever come across a behemoth of our own that we can't defeat easily like a Sentinel or one of Dark Kat's Black Widow robots. So Forge and I thought it would be handy for the X-Men if we had our own personal Sentinel, and we borrowed some of the parts from the Watchtower with Hawkgirl's permission. Well, we didn't finish building the robot since we only started it at the Watchtower when we went to pay the Justice League a visit, and since we helped Cyborg fix his car, Cyborg offered to give us some pointers to make our designs even better, so that was what we were working on for the past several days…"

The kat felt like crawling into a hole under the livid glares of Ororo, Hank, Roadblock, and Cover Girl. Roadblock managed to ask with great restraint, his jaw clenched and his eye twitching, "By any chance, Razor, please do tell if you and Forge asked Trinity to help pitch in this project as well?"

"Actually, we did," Forge weakly confessed, "That's how we came to conclusion to build it in the shape of the Megazord from TV."

"You know, looking back on it that was a stupid move on our parts…" Cyborg groaned.

"**_No, you think!_**" screamed Storm, Beast, Roadblock and Cover Girl sarcastically at once. Trinity was currently fighting for possession over a remote unit that was controlling the Megazord, and the rough handling of the box between the three squabbling girls certainly explained why the robotic monster was going through spasms while walking.

"It's mine!" Brittany snapped as she pulled at one end of the remote control, "So quit hogging the control and hand it over, Quinn!"

"No way! I called double dibs on it first! So shut up and give it back, jerk!" Quinn snapped back as she pulled on the other end.

"_You_ shut up! I'm the leader and head Triplet sister, and I call permanent-dibs to be first on anything we build! So it's mine!" Daria shouted as she pulled in a third direction.

"_In your dreams!_" screamed Quinn and Brittany in unison as the Delgado Triplets each gave a mighty pull in their respective directions, and with a loud _snap_, the remote control fell apart in three separate subsections, sparking madly and showing exposed wires and cracked circuit boards.

"Now look at what you've done! You broke it!" Daria, Quinn, and Brittany growled simultaneously as they immediately pointed the finger at the each other while the giant robot now went completely wild, hopping around madly and causing new holes in the roof and causing parts of the floor to cave in and destroying the entertainment system. With the remote control broken, the Megazord went absolutely haywire.

"OK, show of hands…who saw **that** coming?" Rogue remarked in a deadpanned tone, and she, Wanda, and Raven all raised their palms bad-naturedly with a roll of their eyes, slightly exasperated.

"If we live through this, no more 'Power Rangers' cartoons for you kids…**_EVER!_**" roared Low Light at Trinity as he managed to transform into a gaseous phase to avoid being crushed to death by the giant robot's foot.

"Isn't there another way to shut this damn thing off!" Sam shouted as he tried to bash his way through the robot's chest, but with no such luck. Daria snapped her fingers and gasped as she remembered.

"Oh yeah! I forgot! There's a self-destruct mechanism button in the back of its neck, two inches over the neckline!"

"Got it!" cheered Beast Boy as he transformed into a hawk and evaded the swinging appendages before reverting back to his original form once he neatly maintained a hold on the rear of the Megazord's head. Spotting the red and yellow button, Beast Boy pushed it several times with a flourish, unaware what was about to happen by overloading the robot. And sadly, Scott realized it too late…

"No, wait! BEAST BOY, STOP! You might cause it to - !"

**_KAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!_**

The Titans Tower actually rocked with _that_ explosion, and any passerby of Jump City who was observing the Titans' island would have noticed some smoke coming out of the now leaning establishment, like the Tower of Pisa, as well as a good portion of the windows were broken and gaping wide with a few small fires.

"…explode," finished Scott in a whimper as he lay, twitching, on the floor with the other X-Men, Titans, Misfits, and Joes, all of them thrown back and tossed aside like rag dolls from the force of the Megazord discharging. Trinity, predictably, were unscathed and giggling somewhere in the background, oblivious to their teammates' collective pain. And Beast Boy was standing in the center of the now demolished pile of junk and damaged robotic parts, his eyes wide with surprise which was the only part of him not blackened and sooty from destroying the Megazord.

"Uh…did I do that?" Beast Boy weakly asked, taking a page out of TV's nerd-figure, Steve Urkel.

"Beast Boy, you dumb yo-yo, when I get my hands on you, I am going to kill you so badly," groaned Tabitha as she lay draped over the overturned couch on her stomach, "That is…if I can stop seeing four of your right now."

"Auntie Em…Auntie Em…" warbled Speedy in a falsetto voice. Apparently, the force caused some slight trauma to his head. Aqualad, in a humorous twist of fate, was lying in pain…_on top of Althea_. Wavedancer, upon coming to and realizing that Garth's body was actually making physical contact with hers in a very suggestive pose, felt her face burn with utter humiliation and outrage as she hissed to herself.

"God…if you're listening…kill me now or at least give me the strength to kill Aqualad **after** I kill my insane sisters!"

"Ow…I do believe…that my bruises…now have bruises. Ow, my head…" Beast moaned, wishing his skull would stop ringing.

"Are…we…dead?" Jake gasped, whimpering and groaning in pain as he managed to excruciatingly prop himself off the floor of the damaged mess.

"Not…yet…but you…**will** be…when I get my mitts on you and Forge…hairball," panted Wolverine murderously as he laid motionless on the floor, his uniform charred, sooty, and torn in several places from the explosion.

"Cyborg…next time…don't ever build anything in your lab with Forge, Razor…and Trinity…**ever again!**" growled Robin, raising his face from being splattered flat and painfully nose-first on the floor.

---

After that eventful explosion and considering that the tower needed to undergo some renovations and repairs, the grown-ups thought it would be best if the teenagers spent their days in the heart of Jump City while the Justice League personally came to Jump City to help them out with the repairs (with Forge, Cyborg, Trinity and Jake staying behind as punishment to help fix their mess)…

"Yo, pizza, everyone! Dig in!" Toad exclaimed proudly while several waitresses delivered twenty deep-dish pizzas, thick and oozing with extra cheese and sauce, while piled high with enough toppings to form a mound of sausage, steak, pepperoni, chicken, and other various meats (no veggies) on the soft yet flaky crusts. Undaunted and ravenous, Kurt, Aqualad, Sam, Fred, Jamie, Roberto, Bobby and Ray all set themselves on the meal heartily. It was a beautiful sunny day the sky as clear as the eye could see with a fresh, cool breeze from the nearby ocean, perfect for an outing to eat outside for lunch. And to the Misfits and X-Men's collective surprises, not a single person in Jump City ever regarded them with hate and scorn for being mutants. It seemed like an incredible contrast compared to the anti-mutant feelings of prejudice in Bayville and a good portion of the United States. And yet, none of the teenagers felt the least bit uncomfortable; if anything, they felt incredibly welcome. Ray and Roberto actually had a group of girls passing by their table giving them sly winks, giggling when they returned the signals with mischievous, fox-like smirks. Kurt even had his image inducer turned off, and yet he had yet to see one person look at him with disgust and fear. Heck, even one of the waitresses remarked to Nightcrawler that his looked kind of cute since blue was her favorite color. And they were treated with respect and as…well, normal human beings.

The X-Men and Misfits soon found themselves wishing that they didn't have to leave Jump City.

"This is like heaven!" Bobby sighed as he gulped down his soda along with his mouthful of pizza, "I mean, everyone doesn't mind us! I haven't seen one guy or girl shirk away or glare at our group for being out in public! No one closed their shops when they saw us coming, no one said a degrading insult, and even the manager of the pizza parlor gave us a discount on the lunch because we're with the Teen Titans!"

"I know what ya' mean, Bobby!" Sam crowed as he politely thanked a waitress for refilling his drink, "It's like we're in a whole other world! This is nothing like Bayville and all those anti-mutant groups we see every day in the news! Jump City is really laid back! Isn't this great! We don't have to hide, we don't have to worry about people picking fights with us, nothing! We can really live life here, like normal teenagers!"

"I'll say! One of those brunettes hasn't stopped checking me out since we got here! I would have never dreamed that I could ever start dating outside the Institute!" Ray happily said.

"Of course, it's always like that here in Jump and Steel City," Aqualad casually remarked, as if it was the most obvious and ordinary thing in the world, "Since we've protected the city multiple times from numerous threats and dangers, people know we're good guys and that they'd be worse off without our guidance and intervention, so they're really grateful for us protecting the city. And they pretty much understand that things are bad enough in the world without focusing on petty narrow-mindedness, so they really like us. I admit, it wasn't easy and it took some time, but the people in Jump City and Steel City know that the Teen Titans are good kids, and since you X-Men and Misfits are with us, they know that you must be good too by association, despite what the news and the Friends of Humanity say. It's funny how people refuse to believe what others say, especially when you save their lives and property a billion times."

"That makes sense," grunted Blob as he gulped down half a pizza in one swallow, "I remember Amara and Tabby telling me the same thing when the X-Men went on the cruise trip and saved a bunch of islanders from an erupting volcano, so people really do act friendly when you help them and show you don't mean 'em any harm."

"Too bad the rest of the world doesn't see it that way, even when we try to be good and compassionate," Roberto said, a bit depressed at the thought.

"You guys are so lucky," Jamie groaned as he wolfed down his piping hot slice of pastry, "We'll never get to have a chance to experience this again! Once we go back to Bayville, we'll just be hated and spat on and the target of any wacko who wants to manipulate us or destroy us!"

Aqualad squeezed Multiple's hand a bit in encouragement, "Give it time. The world can change, surprisingly, even though it seems overwhelming and monumental. Even the smallest acts you guys do can help open some eyes. Just give it time, kid."

"We hope so, yo. That's the whole point of why we're fighting," Todd sighed, patting his full stomach.

"And let's also help we can last that long," Fred added, munching on a whole new pizza in his hands.

At the same time over at the Jump Mega-Center, the largest mall in all of Jump City, and indeed, one of the largest in the United States, Starfire and Bumblebee had taken Althea, Lina and the X-Girls (minus Kitty and Rogue) shopping for a well-needed trip to the stores…

"Whoa!" gasped Amara as she and the other mutant girls marveled inside the spacious building, "I feel like I've died and gone to heaven! This is bigger and much more elegant and friendly than the Bayville shopping mall!"

Indeed, the Nova Roman princess spoke the truth. The Jump city Mega-Mall was lit by the light of the sun streaming in through the elegantly structured glass skylight, and the golden rays bounced all over the indoor waterfall that cascaded down a glass replica of a skyscraper that stood five stories tall, splashing mightily in a large pool of clear water, filled with water lilies and bronze statues of horses and birds. And the mall itself was seven stories tall, with soft classical music playing in the background while all the stores and vendors, ranging anywhere from books to beauty salons to chocolate to coffee to music and electronics, were clean, orderly, and just begging to be sacked.

"Ooooh…friend Amara, how does this dress look?" Starfire asked eagerly as she showed to Amara a sky-blue, velvety evening dress, perfect for formal wear in Macy's, "This article of clothing would perfectly match your skin tone!"

"Hey, Lina, girl!" Tabitha shouted as she brought up a tan-colored pair of cotton slacks, "Think you can try these on? I can imagine they'd look good on you!"

"Oh wow, thanks Tabitha!" squealed Lina.

"Oh, look at that Hello Kitty plushie! It's sooooo adorable!" Bumblebee gasped.

"Friend Rina, do you wish to explore the Sephora store right before we do a strange act that involves taking a pig out to the Cold Stone establishment? Their variations of sweet iced cream is simply glorious!" Starfire called out.

"I actually never have been to Cold Stone before," X23 admitted, not seeing the harm in going to an ice cream parlor.

"You've never been to Cold Stone! Geez, X23, you need to get out more!" Althea remarked as she and Starfire led Rina to the said sweets shop. Amara then asked Jean as they managed to pile out of the clothing store with Lina and Tabitha, carrying four bags of clothes and accessories each.

"Jean, how're we paying for this? We can't afford all these clothes and perfume and shoes even if we saved our allowances for a hundred years!"

"Simple, I charged it to the Professor's credit card…" Jean smiled. Tabitha looked taken aback before she nodded approvingly.

"Jean, girl, you're developing a mean naughty streak…" she praised. Jean smiled wickedly at her friends and at Lina.

"Hey, how often do we actually get to go to a mall and be treated like real human beings? And how often do we actually get to go out and shop until we drop? I haven't had a good trip to the mall since we got outed as mutants back in Bayville. Besides, it's all good! It's not like I'm irresponsible all the time! If I don't splurge now, someone else will charge the Professor's credit card anyway, so why the heck not?"

"Why the heck not?" agreed Lina, Amara, and Tabitha, giggling as they marched to their first visit at Guess Clothing.

At the same time, Kitty and Piotr finally got a chance for their second date, a date that had been postponed ever since Live Wire attacked the Institute, and Piotr thought this would be the best time to do so since they were separated from the rest of the pack and that the entire conurbation was less hostile and more tolerant of mutants than Bayville. There was no way the Russian X-Man was going to pass up a chance to take Kitty for a day out in the town, so to speak, so he invited Kitty for a chance to explore the mall, just the two of them as a quiet, romantic interlude. Kitty eagerly accepted.

"Isn't this like wonderful, Peter?" sighed Kitty as they looked at each other over a nice tea of buttered croissants, coffee (not B.A.'s brew, thankfully), and toast and jam, "You and me, no protestors, no gawking customers, everyone being totally cool with us as mutants, relaxing in a café with like jazz music playing and the world passing us by without a care…"

"Yes, it is," Piotr agreed, but he became even more pleased when Kitty's eyes grew even dreamier as she meaningfully leaned forward closer to the taller boy.

"Kitty…" sighed Piotr as he and Kitty then gently leaned closer and kissed, closing their eyes and enjoying the feeling of each other's lips. Piotr didn't want this moment to ever end. However, one particular observer was **not** pleased with the sight as he spied upon the two X-Men from a distance, half-hidden by a potted plant…

"Rotten, lousy, no-good, backstabbing, half-assed X-Geek…" muttered Lance murderously as he watched Piotr continued kissing Kitty at the café table.

Beast Boy then gave an evil grin as he whispered, "You know, we could do a little sabotage to their date…"

Lance's head perked up, intrigued, asking, "How?"

Garfield grinned as he held up his backpack, jiggling it a little as he clarified, "I brought a few more shaving cream bombs and stink pellets for such an occasion. And now would be a good time to use to little container of red ants I managed to smuggle from the Tower."

Lance turned to the scene of Kitty and Piotr still gently kissing each other in the café, oblivious to their surroundings. Lance, naturally of course, felt a painful and hot building feeling of rage and anger, not only jealous of Piotr but anger at Kitty as well. To tell the truth, a large part of Avalanche wanted to ruin the happy moment for Colossus so much, the images of Piotr laughing at Lance's misfortune dancing across his head. And yet…

Lance deflated wearily. He couldn't do it. If the tables were turned, he wouldn't have wanted the X-Man to horn in on his own date with Kitty. Plus, Kitty would never forgive Lance; she was no fool in being able to deduce that Lance would have a hand in the prank. As pathetic as it was to some of his Misfit teammates, Lance didn't want to lose whatever standing he had left in Kitty's regards. Yes, it was clear she cared about him, but as a friend and ally, and nothing more than that. Lance remembered that Spirit advised him that it was Kitty's choice to make, and if Lance truly respected her, he'd allow her to follow up on that choice even though he didn't agree with it. And as much as he hated to admit it, Lance knew that Colossus would protect Kitty with his life if the situation ever arose. Piotr loved Kitty as much as Lance did, and it wasn't much consolation, but it _was_ something, to know that Shadowcat was in good hands. Lance then turned to Beast Boy with a sad look in his eyes.

"Nah, forget it, Gar. Let 'em enjoy their date."

Beast Boy looked positively thunderstruck as he dropped his mouth in slight confusion. The only word that was able to be processed and escape his mouth was a high-pitched, "Huh?"

"She's so happy right now…" Lance said with a sad, mournful face as he led Beast Boy away. And Kitty and Piotr would never know how close their peaceful rendezvous was to being wrecked.

Raven, Rogue, and Wanda, unsurprisingly to the adults, decided hang out inconspicuously at one of the mall benches in a somewhat secluded corner of the mall as they conversed quietly, choosing to enjoy each others' company rather than act like complete idiots along with the rest of their friends.

"So is your brother that bad, Wanda?" Raven asked the gothic Misfit. Wanda looked at Raven like she had grown three heads.

"Are you kidding?" she snorted, "He's the most egotistical, idiotic, harebrained drama-queen of a brother in the history of annoying twin siblings! He's like Satan with a bleach job! He's like Ferris Bueller with a fast mouth and a slow brain! He's the most annoying brother on the face of the planet!"

At the same time, at the other end of the mall where Pietro and Speedy were conversing over smoothies…

"So is Wanda really that bad of a sister, Pietro?" Speedy asked as he slurped his fruit mixture. Pietro looked at the member of Titan East like he had admitted he had a sex-change and used to be a girl.

"Are you kidding?" Quicksilver snorted, trying to prevent from spitting out his mouthful of banana-mango smoothie from choking with laughter, "Wanda is the most moody, most violent, most self-centered and meanest serial psychopath of a sister in the history of twin siblings! She's like the antithesis of Brittany Spears! She's like the possessed girl the 'Exorcist' movie, only uglier and mean enough to make Satan fear her!" Wanda acts as if she's on permanent PMS!"

At the same time to Rogue, Wanda, and Raven…

"You two have no idea what he's like at the Misfit Manor! He's even worse when we used to be in the Brotherhood House! He's always teasing me and insulting me and writing rude comments in the margins of my diary!"

At the same time to Speedy and Pietro…

"You have no idea how much abuse I go through with her! It's like every little innocent thing I do sets her off and causes her to go into a violent rage, hexing me to next week! She's a **_very_** mean girl! Like there was this one time I bought some acne face deep-cleansers from an infomercial…"

Meanwhile, Wanda was now actually raging with annoyance at the memory…

"He used **_my_** money to buy this stupid cheap acne lotion he saw on the Home Shopping Network! The small bottle cost him two hundred and fifty dollars of **_my money_**! And what made it worse was it was a brand that I saw for sale at Save-On for a buck fifty! And the thing was, this brand was recalled by the FDA because it had a few side effects of making your face turn orange! But of course, leave it to me idiot of a brother to spend two hundred and fifty dollars of my money on a bottle that was declared as useless as a used Kleenex! And Pietro had the nerve to say that I should be grateful for the cleanser since it looked like I needed it desperately!"

At the same moment with Pietro's side of the story…

"I mean, all I did was offer to share the bottle with her!" Pietro griped, rolling his eyes in exasperation, "And instead, that just made her hit me with the folding chair even harder! I offered her to give her a few tips on keeping her face clean like a good brother should, and how does she thank me? My anger-control impaired sister hexes me through the window!"

Raven and Rogue just listened with interest as Wanda carried on…

"And he always complains that as my twin, I should be obligated to give half of everything I own to him since he goes through stuff faster than the Flash does!"

Pietro, in the interim, was complaining…

"She's just so selfish! She should learn how to share, and instead, all she does is mock, make sarcastic remarks, never give me a break, and always blames me for every little thing that goes wrong in her little, precious life, or at least what she passes off for one!"

Back at Wanda…

"He is the most annoying, most self-centered, obnoxious King of Stupidity that was ever born!" Scarlet Witch declared.

And Pietro then shared with Speedy his little secret…

"…so I've secretly been peeing in her coffee ever since," cackled Pietro.

"No way! Are you serious?" Speedy gasped, laughing.

"Yep, and of course, my dunce of a twin has no idea! Hee hee hee!" Quicksilver bragged.

Speedy shook his head in wonderment and respectful awe as he gave the albino a high-five for his underhanded vindictiveness.

"Quicksilver, my man…you are the King of Pranks," he murmured.

"You got **that** right! No one is ever able to get the better of Pietro Maximoff!" bragged the Misfit speedster, arrogantly.

At the same time, Raven and Rogue were listening to Scarlet Witch's narration with shocked awe and growing humor…

"…and so I've been secretly switching our cups of coffee ever since," finished a smug Wanda.

"You're _kidding_ me!" giggled Raven.

"Nope."

Rogue was now holding her sides with laughter and glee as she managed to gasp out, red in the face, "And…and Quickie has no idea that…ah ha ha ha…that he's been drinking out of the mug with his -?"

"Nope," emphasized Wanda, her grin growing even wider. At this, Raven and Rogue and Wanda were lost in uncontrollable mirth as they leaned against each other and the wall, guffawing so hard that their stomachs were hurting. Rogue even lost it as she feel to the ground, convulsing with glee and hilarity.

"Oh God, this is rich! I have to keep this joke in mind!" Rogue chortled, wiping her eyes.

Raven coughed, still giggling, as she held her hand, saying, "Let me help you up…"

Yet the instant Rogue and Raven touched their hands, by a cruel twist of fate, as Raven grasped Rogue's gloved hand, the Teen Titan touched a small hole that somehow managed to go escape Rogue's detection. It was miniscule, only offering the barest exposure of Rogue's skin, so small that Rogue could not even feel it, and yet…when Raven helped Rogue up, that hole allowed Raven's skin to brash against Rogue's bare flesh. There was an electric surge of power as they made contact.

Rogue and Raven gasped before the force hit them, cruel, swift, and incredibly painful as Rogue and Raven arched back and yelped, with rogue's mutation kicking in, before Raven, with all of her strength, managed to let go and Rogue was sent stumbling back to the floor again.

"Whoa…" she groaned before Rogue then realized she was seeing Raven's memories as they ran through her mind like a demented film being set to fast-forwards, but Rogue gasped as she then looked upon a stylized "S", the very same mark that was on Slade's forehead. Rogue's eyes went wide. Why would Raven…?

"Oh my God, the Mark of Scath!" gasped Rogue as she then looked at Raven with fear and confusion.

Raven returned her gaze at Rogue with a mixture of betrayal, fear, anger…and grief. Rogue's mouth felt dry as she spoke.

"Raven?" yet with a suppressed sob, Raven flung her arms over her head, invoking her powers before a dark soul-self in the shape of a raven engulfed her body, encasing the hooded witch in its wings before she disappeared, teleporting to an unknown place. Rogue just stared at where Raven disappeared to, numb as Wanda gently shook Rogue's other covered arm.

"Rogue? Rogue! What happened! Why did Raven dash off like that! What did you do to her!" Wanda gasped. Rogue then had the memories she absorbed from Raven click into place, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle somehow falling from the sky and landing onto the ground, only to form a completely assembled picture. And Rogue couldn't have been more taken aback at what was revealed…

"Oh my God…" Rogue murmured in dread, placing a hand over her mouth.

**Author's Notes: The fictional character, Robert Langdon, isn't mine. He's a character created by Dan Brown in the books, "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", but since I like the books so much, I thought it would be cool to include a mention of him in the Misfitverse! And now, check back next Friday for the chapter "An Azarath of a Welcome" as Raven tries to escape to the one sanctuary she can run to! But is she truly safe? And how will the X-Men, Misfits, and Titans react when Rogue finally reveals to them what she knows! Find out next week, and until them, read and review!**


	6. An Azarath Of A Welcome

**CHAPTER 6: An Azarath Of A Welcome**

Raven's legs were already pounding hard on the floor of the operations center in the Titans Tower the minute her soul-self managed to teleport the half-demon, half-human telekinetic into the home base. Already, the headquarters of the Teen Titans was deserted and abandoned for the day; the Justice League has called it a day and managed to go off back to the Watchtower, leaving the rest of the repairs for the rest of the day. After a few moments of second thought, while she was still running, Raven scanned for other life forms in the tower, any mental or physical signatures from Cyborg, Razor, Trinity, Forge, and the other adults from G.I. Joe and the X-Men that have stayed behind for helping out with the renovations and patch-ups from the explosion caused by the Megazord blowing up. To her relief, no one else was apparently in the vicinity. They must have left right before Raven managed to use her powers to warp into the tower. That meant she still had time to make her escape before Rogue could reveal to the others the awful truth…

Raven felt tears burn her eyes and her nose run, but she steely composed herself to remain facially frozen. No, she would not break down. Not now. There could still be one last hope, one final chance at true sanctuary, where she could truly flee this madness and insanity.

Raven could just visualize what her friends would say the instant they discovered the God-awful truth about her heritage, her birthright, and the shame that courted it. Robin's voice snarled from the blackest depths of her imagination…

_How could you not tell us? We were your friends, your allies, and your family! We trusted you! We would have died for you, and **this** is how you show your loyalty? You hid this from us until it was too late to do anything about it? God, Raven, you're no Titan! Even **Terra** showed more concern and loyalty than you did for us on this!_

Almost immediately, an image of Wanda, now gruesomely disemboweled and nothing more than a living, disgusting, decaying cadaver, emerged from her worst nightmares of the prophetic vision Slade had bequeathed to her, sobbing and shrieking piercingly at Raven with blame and hurt…

_Look at me! **Look at me!** I ended up like this because you wouldn't trust me, because you didn't care about me! Even after I was nice to you and actually could share and understand and empathize with you, you still turned your back on me! How could you? **How could you?** Now thanks to you, Trigon killed me and my family, and I lost everything! **And it's all your fault!**_

Then Professor Xavier regarded her sternly, saying the one thing that she least wished to ever hear in her lifetime…

_You are no hero, Raven. You are nothing more than a beast, a monster, just like your father._

Raven could hear Low Light's earlier words taunting her, echoing cruelly in her mind as they continued to highlight the evil inside her, the evil she tried so desperately to hide, to change, to reform…

_It sounds dangerous. If anything, if we can't make sure that this gem doesn't fall into the wrong hands, then we'll have to destroy it before the Hellfire Club and Slade and H.I.V.E. get their grubby hands on it. It'll be better to eliminate it so that no one could ever use that as a weapon and endanger innocents…_

_It'll be better to eliminate it so that no one could ever use that as a weapon and endanger innocents…_

_Endanger innocents…_

_Endanger innocents…_

_Endanger innocents…_

"No," Raven half-sobbed as she continued running to her room, but there was no denying the fact of truth in the Joes' words. She was nothing more than a weapon, a tool of evil, a danger to her friends, the very type of threat heroes such as the X-Men, the Joes, and the Titans have always fought before, what they were meant to fulfill for the sake of making the world a better and safer place. A place without her being a blight upon it.

Raven managed to finally come to her room, her heart beating madly from the exertion and hoping she could still do what she planned before anyone could stop her, though a part of her reasoning reminded her that that assumption was based on the fact that her friends truly cared to _want_ to stop her in the first place. Using her powers, immediately, all the books and papers that cluttered her floor swept away with a gentle noise as they were dragged and pushed along the carpet while the candles, the scented sticks of incense and myrrh, lit with small, gentle flames out of thin air, casting a soft and somewhat comforting aura of orange warmth in her dark room. Yet there was no time to waste on the pretense of relief when she need to run, to go to the last place she knew could be a possible last resort and haven for her.

With a flick of her fingers, a large, leather-bound spell-book, its pages ratty and tattered and the parchments colored yellow with age, hovered from one of the piles of books and tomes stacked all around her bed and flew towards the female Titan before she grasped it firmly to her chest. Raven remembered this particular volume; it was treasured above the rest of the books in her collection for it was the one her mother and the High Priest, Azar, bestowed upon her before Azar passed away and Raven left for Earth. And she knew, deep within its pages, were vivid and descriptive chapters about the mark and the horrors she would bring.

Raven recalled that Azar himself told Raven in his gentle voice, almost picturing his gray eyes of kindness and peace twinkling upon her fatherly when she was but a mere toddler.

"_Raven, remember that if you ever need asylum, if you ever lose hope, remember those who love you and your legacy here in Azarath. This book is a testament to what you were firmly taught and what you must always cherish if you ever wish to live our ways, but no matter what, you have a home here, young one, should you ever need help._"

It was safe to say **this** was one of those times.

Raven cursed her father, cursed Slade, cursed her other birthright and legacy as she raised a hand, and with a pop, two hourglasses on her bookshelf from nearby cracked at the very apex, the glass shattering neatly while the shadows of her telekinesis caressed the grains of dirt and rock and caused to float in the air, guided by her mind.

"You might be able to stop me from meditating!" Raven said, her voice shaking with fear from being cornered. The sands, sparkling faintly underneath the hues of the black shadows telekinetically carrying it, spread out neatly into a perfectly shaped circle, encircling the form of the cloaked Teen Titan.

"But you can't stop me from leaving!" she declared with final resolve, abandoning all her caution and her affection for her friends as she laid a hand on the spell-book and began chanting, her words thick with emotion, passion and power. Her cloak and cape all around her body began to billow as unforeseen winds picked up and swirled strongly all around the witch.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

Instantly, blue sparks of magical aura became distinct in the sand and began to sparkle, glowing brighter and brighter with each syllable of power.

"Carazon Rakashas Endere…"

The sand then emitted columns and columns of transparent light the color of the purest oceans as a barrier of light, a wall of holy luminescence taking shape of the circle of sand, rose from the floor and kept extending and extending until it touched the ceiling, creating another ring of light above Raven's head. Raven's voice grew more foreboding and forceful as the telekinetic levitated off the floor.

"Vaserix Endrien Azarath…"

The ring of light on the ceiling of the room now became a swirling portal of power, and Raven's eyes flew open, showing no pupils as they glowed white with power and emotion. The portal was now churning madly as the winds blew bits of paper and dust all around the Titan as the epicenter of a miniature tornado before Raven then bellowed the last words.

"…**AZARATH, AZARATH!**"

With a sudden flash of white light, Raven was pulled upwards into the portal without so much as a gasp from the girl, and with another flash, the portal sealed itself, disappearing from sight. With that, all became as still as death in her little dark room, the candles now extinguished and smoking gently with wafts of scented steam.

As if she was on the fastest rocket ship towards heaven, Raven flew as free and clear as a bird, the winds rushing past her as she used her powers and mental strength to propel herself higher and higher into the infinite tunnel of light. All around her, magical white energy and intense power crackled and swirled around her madly, threatening to incinerate Raven into ashes, but with a simple burst of black shadows, her soul held the defensive mechanisms at bay, keeping her safe as apparitions of fierce angelic beings besieged her, trying as guardians of the realm to prevent the unfamiliar intruder from desecrating their hallowed ground. Raven paid them no heed, her face showing a glower of concentrated determination, as she barraged her way through the energy and ghosts without even much of a conscious thought. Like a bu8llet she flew, but it was nowhere as fast as the jumbled chaotic thoughts of what was to come running through her mind and petrifying the very core of her being. Raven forced herself to not think of it. Before long, she finally reached the end of the tunnel, and it was a gigantic barrier of light, colored with hues of the softest pink and purple of the dawning sun in the sky. The doorway was covered with circles and triangles all arranged in an intricate pattern, like a stained glass window, while the border of the disc of light was written in strange, glowing runes. The very same runes of the ancient language that littered Raven's body when Slade attacked her. Raven let out the breath she was holding in painfully; she was home. Raven immediately thrust herself at the entryway eagerly, but to her shock, a violent conflagration of light burst forth from the pattern and pushed her back forcefully, instantly letting her know she was not to pass.

Raven was not going to back down. No, she wouldn't back down! Azar himself told her that she would always be welcome, and by Azarath, she needed help! They could not turn her away! They simply couldn't!

"Let me in!" Raven growled, the jewel on her forehead now glowing as red as fresh blood as she flew into the barrier, pushing as hard as she could, hoping that the door would give way and allow her in at last. Yet to her dawning horror and fear and dread, the gate just fought back just as vigorously, the two sources of power now coming head to head, and to Raven's shock, it was as if the path would not allow her to go through for that one, horrific secret, because of her demonic heritage.

She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that she was now banished, not when she was in such dire need and only one person behind the gate could help her. But what would she do then if she was exiled?

At this, Raven lost it and started screaming, lost as she hugged the spell-book close to her chest, the touch of the novel reminding her of Azar's promise and giving her one last lingering shred of a fool's hope that she could be safe here. Raven's voice grew more shrill, her heart plummeting to her stomach in an icy cold, numbing pain as she pounded hard on the barrier, trying to get through, not caring of the pain that was blossoming over and over as she struck her fist against the force-field of steel.

"Let me in! **PLEASE!** LET ME IN! **_LET ME IN, LET ME IN, LET ME IN!_** **_For the love of all that is holy, let me in!_**" she screamed.

The gate still did not budge, and like she was the most horrible and filthy of all outcasts, it continued to force her back.

"Let me in…please," she begged, dropping her tone to a whisper, her eyes brimming with loss. Oh by Azarath, if she was no longer welcome…

The pattern of protection then halted its attack, ceasing its brunt act of violence, before flickering in its glowing intensity, ranging into a cyclic rhythm of faint to strong over and over again, as if pondering the situation.

"Please…" Raven choked. She hated asking for mercy, but what else could she do?

She couldn't face this alone…

To her relief, with a gentle blaze, everything around her went white, silent yet as soft and tender as a gentle breeze, and Raven felt her heart soar as she then found herself soon hovering in the air in front of a giant, levitating rock roughly the size of the asteroid, Avalon, created by Magneto. And on the surface of the flying mountain was a giant kingdom, a living city full of towers, buildings, and a lone, main monolith symbolically structured in the very center of the grand civilization. All of the structures and skyscrapers were tall, elongated, and forged out of the smoothest rock and elements of creamy brown and precious metals, the edges trimmed with silver and gold. It was faintly reminiscent of the Renaissance era, a town based on the architecture of the Roman cathedrals and European design, yet at the same time, displaying a comforting aura of serenity and peaceful times.

Raven then smiled to herself.

She was granted refuge.

"Thank you…" Raven whispered to no one in particular, tears in her eyes and clutching the volume in her hands, but appreciative all the same for the her entrance into the mysterious and mystical metropolis. Raven then spoke the words with fond memory, remembering the happier times she had here in the earlier years.

"Azarath, my last hope."

Without even hesitating, Raven flew into the city, her heart lighter than usual. As she then wandered into the streets and passageways that snaked all around Azarath like a maze, she then felt eerily worried. All around, she noticed that there was not a single living soul anywhere within the gilded buildings, the streets as empty and silent and dusty as if no one had inhabited the realm of Azarath for quite some time. She suddenly found herself wishing her friends, the Titans, were here, or if anything else, the X-Men and the Misfits. Anyone as long as she wouldn't be alone during this difficult time of returning back to Azarath.

"Hello?" Raven called out hesitantly, like a small child. There was only a unnatural silence, so solemn and quiet that the blood was ringing in Raven's ears. The Titan managed to give out a soft laugh at herself, despite the fear and terror gripping her.

She muttered to herself, "It's not like I expected a parade…"

Raven then, to her shock and pleasure, saw a dove of pure white color cooing gently from the rooftops, staring at Raven with wide, black eyes of innocence. Raven smiled at the bird, at the sign that there was life in the city, and upon this greeting, the dove flapped its wings and took off, the sunlight giving a slight halo of radiance all around the avian of symbolic peace, its feathers shimmering. Intrigued and as if she knew deep down that the dove wished for Raven to follow it, the Titan flew in the air with her powers and tracked the dove, still clutching the book in her arms protectively. Straight as a line, the dove flew and Raven tailed it, heading towards the very heart of the empire. Eventually, the dove flew towards the top of a gigantic and beautiful tower, the lofty and soaring monument that could be glimpsed from a far distance and that dwarfed over the rest of the nearby buildings, and on the side of the obelisk was a gargantuan of a huge golden bird with its wings spread out in a majestic gesture. The symbol of the kingdom of Azarath. There, as Raven ascended into the rosy sky of yellow and bright sunlight, Raven could see the dove land on a wide balcony positioned at the very top of the tower amid a sea of fellow white birds. Among them on the spacious terrace was a tall, thin feminine figure in a white cloak, the hood drawn over its head, but the Titan could just barely make out the familiar face of a grave yet stunningly beautiful woman with long, dark hair and a similar jewel position in the middle of her forehead. With a glazed look of peace on her serene face, the woman stroked one of the doves that flew into her hands gently, and even from the far distance, Raven recognized the one woman with a gasp.

It was her mother.

"Arella!" Raven whispered to herself in joy before she quickened her pace, her head buzzing from the effort of rushing quickly, reaching the balcony right before her mother could retreat back inside the chambers within.

"Mother, wait!" Raven called out pleadingly, and at those words, Arella stiffened, as if taken aback, before her shoulders significantly relaxed and turned to see her daughter glide gently before she landed onto the veranda with barely a noise. Arella face did not change in any way, not the slightest hint of happiness or joy at seeing her kin again. She remained as stoic as ever, but Raven, though she was sure she was imagining it, could see a hint of…sadness and regret?

Arella then spoke in a smooth and elegantly gentle and sage voice, her voice a bit husky but ethereal as well, "Hello, Raven. Welcome home, my daughter."

Raven felt her heart choke and writhe at the look. She spoke hurriedly.

"No, Mother! Wait! I've come back! Mother, please help me!"

The woman bit back her strong emotions of grief as she spoke, "You always had a home here, my child. But help we could not give."

"The prophecy, it's happening!" Raven gasped, whimpering, brandishing the book in front of her and forgetting all pretenses of formal greetings (though she could argue now was not the time), "You have to tell me how to stop it!"

"Nothing can be done. The promise…of your birth was…absolute. I am truly sorry, Raven."

Raven flared at this, now feeling the urge to scream and blame her mother, for accusing her of being so distant and cold-blooded.

"I don't believe you! There has to be a way! **There has to!** I don't want to be this! I…I don't want to help him." Raven's voice dropped a notch lower at this last sentence, and Arella nervously clutched her elbows, as if in pain and conflict between helping Raven or just standing by and accepting the fate of her daughter's role with Trigon. Raven pushed even more gently.

"Mother, please, I don't want to help him."

Arella then spoke, her voice now a bit strangled and teary, misty with sadness and love for her daughter, though Raven had no idea how unbearable it was to Arella for knowing that very little could be done to save her daughter. She whispered, "You forever had the love of your people, Raven, even knowing what you would become and what you would bring. Even when Juris was killed trying to sentence you to limbo to help spare Azarath and Earth, people still did not wish to banish you because of what you are, because of what you would become. In truth, we…accepted it. The priests and priestesses of Azarath do not condone violence and the loss of life for something as fruitless and inevitable as this, and the sacrifice of the many lives of innocents that would come of it if we even dared to attempt destroying Trigon…it was too much to risk, too much to give. Even though Azar wished that you could be safe before he passed, he told us that he would not blame you for your role in the prophecy, in the Armageddon."

"It was not my fault!" screamed Raven hysterically, at her wits end, in a voice that was teetering between anger, self-loathing, and frustration, "I didn't mean for Juris to get killed because of me! I didn't ask for this, ask to be Trigon's daughter, ask to be born, ask to be a part of this entire prophecy! I didn't ask for it! I don't want it! It's not fair this should be on my shoulders! **_It's not fair!_**"

Raven's mother lower lip began to tremble and quiver, her grief and pain starting to emerge, as she clasped her hands together and held them in front of her mouth, stifling the rare instances when she would break down, before she choked, "I am truly sorry, Raven. I…I have n o choice. You have no choice. It is your destiny, it is your birthright, it is a part of you and your life. You cannot escape it."

At this, Raven was simply furious as she then lashed out at her mother.

"Is that all you can say to me?" spat Raven angrily, "'_I have no choice_'? '**_It's my destiny_**'! You were more of fault at this mess with Trigon than anyone, more than me! You're the one who had to sire a child with him! If you were any kind of a mother, you would help me! **_I don't want to die!_** I don't want to die helping Trigon! **If you even loved me like a real mother, you wouldn't just stand by and let your own child die like the sacrificial lamb to save your own skin!**"

At this, Arella began to weep quietly, and Raven's heart broke at the unintentional way she worded her anger, at the way she hurt her mother. Raven then began to cry too, wishing she and her matriarch could just live in peace, that she could be just a normal teenager, that she could live in happiness with what was left of her family. The Titan then rushed over, and with a rare moment of affection, she hugged her mother tightly, not caring if her mother didn't return the gesture.

"Oh mother, please…I…I'm scared…" Raven blubbered. And Arella then grasped her daughter in her arms, sobbing freely now.

"I am so sorry, my child. I…I had no choice. Please forgive me for what I did, for what I must to protect you…"

"Mother?" Raven asked softly, confused, but Arella then raised her tear-stained face to her daughter.

"I am so sorry, Raven…I did not wish to, please believe me…" the tender woman sobbed.

"Did not wish to what?" the Teen Titan asked, now horribly baffled. But then she dropped the book in shock when she realized they were not alone on the balcony as the white doves all around them fluttered and darted off into the sky madly upon the intrusion.

"Hello, my dear Raven…" Brother Blood's voice sneered. Raven took several steps back in horror and alarm as she readied herself automatically into a defensive pose to see, to her amazement and disbelief, Brother Blood and a large, towering, behemoth of a demon standing side by side with Arella. Brother Blood, though he had the same head and facial gestures, was dramatically different. His body, the chest the arms and his legs, were amplified into an ape-like musculature, hairy and quivering with power and brute strength. A testament from Brother Blood's experimentation with the Shaggy Man, with what had been done with Kalibak's body. If anything, the evil tyrant and religious nut seemed younger, stronger, and more menacing than ever. And around Brother Blood's bare shoulders was an exquisite cape of shimmering silver and red, and the Titan could sense something foreboding, something haunting from the garment. And the demon on Arella's left side was massive, immense, his entire body black from his wicked claws and talons to his spiked hair. In fact, the only things not black on the demon's body were Blackheart's eyes and the symbol of the Heartless on his torso.

Raven was stunned. How did they ever manage to enter Azarath, a haven of holiness that would not allow anyone, regardless of what powers they harnessed, to enter unless they were…

Raven felt her world drop and crumble beneath her feet as she then realized it. _Her mother had let them in_. Her own flesh and blood betrayed her only daughter to Brother Blood and his associate, surrendering her to the Hellfire Club and ultimately, to Trigon. Arella then said in a choked voice.

"I am sorry, Raven, but I did not wish to see you killed…and Brother Blood along with the Hellfire Club has promised me that they would ensure that Trigon would spare your life if I helped them and that Azarath would be restored…"

Raven could only stand there, petrified at the words of betrayal, while Brother Blood and Blackheart descended upon the sixteen-year old girl with little chance of escape…

---

"You have got to be kidding me," Speedy said flatly, still not sure how to take it.

That sentiment was voiced at least have a dozen times by the member of Titans East as he and his teammates along with the Teen Titans, the X-Men, G.I. Joe, and the Misfits just listened Rogue explain what she had learned when she had inadvertently absorbed Raven's memories by accident in complete and utter shock. Not just the ordinary, fatigued, shock that one naturally expects from the life of a teenage superhero. All of them were literally experiencing the jaw-dropping, horrified, reeling shock that was only slightly a few notches above being doused with a bucket of ice water before being left stranded and naked in an isle in the North Pole full of bloodthirsty polar bears and killer sharks and Abominable Snowmen.

Beast Boy looked absolutely broken as he pleaded to Rogue, nearly begging, "C'mon, Rogue, you can't be serious! Tell us it's a mistake! Tell us you're joking! Tell us this is something you imagined! Something Raven imagined! It's can't be! _It can't be true!_"

Earlier, Rogue urgently and frantically contacted the Professor with her mind, nearly overwhelmed with fear and panic, and when the X-Men, the Titans, the Misfits, and the Joes gathered around her in the middle of the Jump City Main Park, the gothic mutant explained what happened with her and Raven when they grouped together at the Mega-Mall. Then she also explained what she saw when she touched Raven, the memories she absorbed and sprang to life in her head like a demented video player, revealing to her a horror she only dared imagine in movies or books.

At first, everyone was slightly skeptical (even hoping that the X-Girl was seriously mistaken), especially the Teen Titans and Titans East, but then the Professor looked into her mind and by using a telepathic mental link (upon Robin and Bumblebee's requests), was able to project the thoughts Rogue steadily gained into the consciousnesses of everyone gathered around with his mental powers. And at that point, there was pretty much no question about the images that Rogue had absorbed from Raven.

They saw the scenes of Raven being covered with the ancient texts and symbols of her heritage, the writing burning into her skin and as red as fresh blood, writing that was in the same style as the brand on Slade's forehead.

They found themselves immersed in the darkness as a deep, disembodied voice rang throughout the sea of blackness, whispering the foreign yet chillingly haunting words of doom, "**_What you have concealed, you shall become! You have no other choice! Your destiny will be fulfilled! The portal must be opened! The gem was born of evil's fire! The gem shall be his portal! He comes to claim, he comes to sire, the end of all things mortal!_**"

They viewed down upon Raven screaming, clutching herself in agony and torment, as she was immersed in a sea of fire, while two demonic and dauntingly malicious pair of eyes watched over her, leering, among the symbols of the Heartless and of Scath burning brightly in the sky. And quite frankly, the sight of the evil eyes was enough to make Beast Boy and several others wet their pants upon the spot.

They could only stand there, petrified, as Raven and Slade fought, while she tried fleeing for her sanity and safety. Slade practically molested her, ripping her uniform and exposing her bare skin to display the hideous runes of her birthright, as the Titans, the Misfits, the X-Men, and the Joes heard the prophecy, word for word.

Yet what truly haunted each of the heroes, what truly struck them at the core of their hearts and souls, was the premonition Raven saw as soon as Slade recited the prophecy. The group could only tremble and gasp at the images of the people and the Titans petrified in rock, could only cover their mouths in revulsion at the sight of the demons feasting upon the carcasses of the Joes, the Justice League, the X-Men, and the Misfits. That one future vision of death, of destruction, of the end of all life as they knew it.

Yes, there was no denying that the images Rogue absorbed were those of Raven, and to the Titans, it certainly explained a few things about Raven's recent behavior. However, most of the Titans and some of the Joes and the mutants were still hesitant to believe that this implied that Raven has something to do with the events with Slade, Leomon, the Hellfire Club, H.I.V.E. and the Heartless. It also didn't help explain a few blank spots of where logic failed to grasp…

"I cannot believe it," Starfire said shakily, her wide green eyes troubled and holding her hands to her chest, "I will **not** believe it! I will not believe what you have just shared, Friend Rogue! Raven cannot be evil! She simply cannot!"

"Yeah, and if anything, if any one of us was going to turn evil, I would have bet money that it would have been Jean," Pietro commented rather flippantly, and Scott put his hands to his sunglasses in a threatening manner, warning the Misfit.

"Just keep going on with your big mouth, Quicksilver…" Scott growled, and that ended whatever the speedster was going to say rather quickly.

"Dude…Rogue! Your mutant power can't always be right, can it?" Beast Boy pleaded, "C'mon, Rogue, tell us this can't be real, the either you and Raven must have dreamed this all up as some sort of nightmare!"

"I hate ta' tell ya' this, Beast Boy, but I think what Rogue got from Raven's the real deal," Sam commented, white in the face, "Rogue doesn't just absorb life force, but she actually takes in their memories and stuff that can only have been in Raven's mind in the first place. Plus, I don't think that even Rogue, despite her gloomy personality, can even think up of stuff like this on a whim! Hell, this is enough to make Stephen King get the willies!"

"I agree with Cannonball. The memories I sensed from Rogue's mind are rather genuine, so there's no doubt that these are Raven's actual memories and her fears," Jean added. Beast Boy was still adamantly stubborn.

"No, Raven's not like that! It's gotta be something Raven then dreamed up! I mean, who else would have nightmares from being chased by a super-powered Slade?"

"Actually, this might explain a lot ever since we tried celebrating Raven's birthday a week or so ago," Aqualad said, frowning, deep in thought, "And it also explains why Slade is targeting only her. Slade must have something to do with that thing that wants Raven. Only problem is, it doesn't explain who or what Raven is supposed to do or how she's supposed to end the world."

"It makes sense," Xi said, unnaturally troubled, "If the day of her birthday marked her being closer to this supposed end of the world, then of course she'd not want anything to do with it, to be reminded of it. I think she was trying to escape it, hoping she could make an effort to refuse it. That's why Slade was taunting her about her heritage and her birth when he chased her and Robin."

"So that symbol on Slade's forehead is called the Mark of Scath?" Roadblock queried, "But then how does this relate to Raven's path? We don't even know what's the relation between Raven and Scath in this situation!"

"No, you don't understand! Raven isn't evil, but she's gonna be part of the prophecy of her father! Don't ya' guys see? That's who this Scath guy is! **Scath is Raven's father!**" Rogue exclaimed. Upon this sentence, Beast Boy and Cyborg's jaws collectively dropped as their eyes popped out, immediately recalling this trip to Raven's mind from the mirror in her bedroom one fateful day in the past.

"No way!" Beast Boy gasped.

"Aw man, **HIM?"** Cyborg screeched uncharacteristically, "THAT'S who we're up against?"

"You know him?" Scott asked, "You went up against this guy before? You and the other Titans?"

Cyborg explained hurriedly how Beast Boy and he invaded Raven's privacy one time and how they somehow triggered a magical mirror that led them into Nevermore, into the realm that represented her mind and how they learned of why she was always so emotionally distant and how they met her split personalities. And then he explained how they met a manifestation of Raven's father in her darkest regions of her psyche, of how he represented her evil, dark side and how it grew stronger every time she was angry and allowed herself to feel rage. And at the end, Cyborg showed a holographic image he summoned from his bionic arm of what Trigon looked like.

The X-Men, the Titans, the Misfits, and the Joes were bothered to say the least, and if anything, as much as they were willing to not admit it, it made them see Raven in a whole new unflattering way.

"That's her Dad?" Fred gasped, his eyes wide as he looked on at the red and black horned demon.

"Hmph, she obviously takes after her mother," Brittany commented without much thought.

"So does that mean Raven has the gem? The one Slade is looking for, the one of evil's fire? You know, that tiara jewel that is on her forehead?" Dragonfly gasped, but Robin then guessed the truth as it clicked into place from Rogue's testimony.

"No!" he exclaimed, "**Raven is the gem!** She's the gem! Raven is the thing that will bring in her father! If it was simply a jewel, all Slade would have to do is steal it from Raven or kill her to get it! But the vision Rogue absorbed of Slade revealing Raven the prophecy and when those weird markings appeared on her body! And when he bragged in the future vision of Earth's destruction that this was the world **she** was meant to create! Slade was toying and playing with Raven, but he never truly harmed her! It's because she's needed to be alive and well in order to bring Scath! Don't you see, now? **_Raven_** is the portal herself!"

"Then the gem that's supposed to be the of Scath and how it's supposed to bring the end of the world…" murmured Forge in horror.

"…is Raven! She's going to be the catalyst that's supposed to cause the end of the world! And she'll be helping her father achieve it!" Bobby exclaimed.

"How come you never told us this? It could have helped us!" Bumblebee demanded angrily, her hands on her hips. Offended at her tone of voice, Cyborg turned his red, robotic eye on the leader of Titans East with an angry glare.

"Hey, first of all, it wasn't our place to tell! We really wouldn't be much of friends with Raven if we went around blabbing her secrets! And secondly, we didn't even know that he's behind the whole thing or that this was why Slade's after Raven! So don't turn your damn nose up at me and insinuate that Raven's feelings or our friendship to her is less important than this whole fiasco with the Hellfire Club and Scath!"

Bumblebee turned bright red with ire, and had she not had a reasonable clamp on her emotions, she would have given Cyborg a hearty rude gesture with a particular finger. Roadblock looked at Jean and Professor Xavier.

"Did you two ever managed to sense something about her?" he asked, but Xavier shook his head.

"It is understandable if you logically look at it," Xavier commented, troubled, "A girl that young but with such incredible skills of telekinesis and telepathy would naturally have solid mental shields, and considering that Robin and the other Titans have told me that she needs to be in constant meditation to keep her powers under control, she is literally a walking battery of power. So much inside her, so uncontrollably destructive…and if it is capable enough to bring forth an Armageddon that will destroy the Earth, it should be of no surprise that her mental powers could very well dwarf Jean's skills or mine. Thus, we cannot sense her even if we tried."

"That's not exactly comforting to hear, Charley!" Shipwreck groaned, "You're one of the most powerful mutants on the face of the planet! If Raven can easily beat ya', then imagine what her **Pops** is like!"

"I don't even wanna think about it!" groaned Sam.

"Then that explains why Leomon was so hostile to Raven when he first ran into us with the Heartless over at Jump City Bay!" gasped Wanda, realizing, "He knows what Raven is! He knows Raven is Scath's daughter! That explains why he's even here around the same time Slade and the Hellfire Club started appeared with H.I.V.E."

"Then if he knows that Raven is the gem and supposedly some sort of portal that's supposed to doom the Earth…" Roberto murmured.

"…then that also means Leomon also knows that this Scath guy will come if the Hellfire Club and Slade gets her under their control and the prophecy that revolves around her! So in a weird way, Leomon **is** on our side because we share the same common enemy!" Amara gasped, white in the face and finishing Sunspot's sentence for him.

"But maybe it's not as bad as we think!" Bobby put in, hopeful, "I mean, isn't it enough she doesn't want this to happen, that she's trying to stop it! You saw how Raven acted when Slade told her of her prophecy and her birthright! **She didn't want it!** Doesn't it prove that maybe we can avoid this, that Raven can possibly not lead to this Scath guy taking over the world?"

Scott said flatly, "Somehow Bobby, I don't think Slade and the Hellions are going to be giving Raven much of a choice on that. And something tells me they're going to be willing to do anything to ensure Scath gets exactly what he wants, even if it means hurting her or worse."

"Uh…_how_ big is this Scath guy?" Jamie asked, white in the face and not sure he was going to like the answer.

Cyborg did a quick calculation on his bionic arm's keyboard scanner-console, estimating as well as he could taking into account Beast Boy's size when he transformed into a pterodactyl and that, by memory, the changeling could only reach half the size of Trigon's head, and said with dawning horror, "Considering when we last fought him…oh holy crap! Scath is around **a thousand feet** tall, give or take!"

The Misfits, the Joes, and the X-Men all felt their hearts drop at that factoid.

"A thousand…Oh my goddamned stars and garters!" cursed Beast, one of the few incidents where his trademark catchphrase would come out as a cursed swear word.

"Are you kidding me? That's even bigger than a Sentinel!" Tabitha gasped.

"About at least _fifteen times_ the size of a Sentinel by our calculations!" Daria commented worriedly as she, Quinn and Brittany crunched a few hasty numbers on their scanners. This, if anything, made the X-Men and Misfits and soldiers from G.I. Joe worry even more.

"Suddenly, I wish we didn't destroy that Megazord after we built it several days ago," moaned Forge, holding a hand to his forehead.

"No use in crying over spilled milk, Forge," Jake said as calmly as he could before he turned to Cyborg and Beast Boy, asking, "You two kittens seem to have managed to handle him before in Raven's mind. Are there any weaknesses Scath has, maybe some sort of disability that could work out to our advantage?"

"No, there wasn't!" gasped Beast Boy, pulling his green hair in frustration, "Even in Raven's mind, me and Cybrog couldn't even faze him much, and we were all nearly toast! Dude, the only reason we were able to get outta there with our skins was because Raven managed to summon up all her split personalities to combine into some Mega-Raven and absorb the manifestation thingy of her father into her! She was the only one who was strong enough to stop him!"

"Damn it, it figures!" Blind Master groaned, "The only one who could stop Scath and the Armageddon of the planet is the same person who was fated to doom it by bringing him in the first place!"

"How could Raven do this to us, how could she not tell us?" Jean griped, "If she trusted us, we could have helped her!"

"And if Raven has the power to stop her father, then why not just simply blast him or something? I mean, she has the ability to lift up skyscrapers telekinetically and can use complex magic with barely even a thought or with just a simply flick of her fingers! If she has the power to stop Scath, why is she running? Why can't she just stay behind and help us fight him?" Aqualad asked. Yet Justin answered a bit solemnly.

"It's never easy to stand up against a parent who scares you to your very core, Aqualad."

Wanda and Pietro's faces both went collectively ashy and waxen. They felt that exact same sentiment in the past with Magneto, and Wanda felt only sympathy and concern for Raven when she could only envision what the Titan was struggling with.

"Chubby-cheeks is right," Pietro confessed, "I mean, I remember how hard it was to share to the guys when Tabitha left and Mystique came back that Magneto was my father. It wasn't the best feeling, to know that the Brotherhood and my friends would never look at me the same, that I'd be viewed like my Dad when I couldn't stand that, that I didn't want to be anything like Magneto. And I couldn't fight him because he scared me as a kid and I didn't want to be punished and made an example out of, like how he did with Wanda. When you're scared of your Dad as a kid, terrified of what he would do to you, no holds barred, you don't ever want to cross the line, even when you grow older. It stays with you, that hurt and fear and resentment. It's never easy to change it, to ignore it."

Quicksilver's words struck a chord with the rest of the Misfits and X-Men.

"Like how my Dad just disowned me over the phone and said I would no longer be a part of the family because I chose to be an X-Man," Bobby sniffed.

Tabitha choked, "And like my deadbeat father only wanted me around so I could use my mutant powers to steal money for his own selfish needs."

"And I never knew my Pops," Rogue sighed.

"And my father was one of Two-Face's flunkies who was gunned down when he tried to back out," Robin shared glumly.

"And my adoptive father physically molested me along with his wife when I was a child," Lance said shakily, shivering, and this one actually made some of the Titans' eyebrows perk up in surprise and pity at this confession. **That** one was easily a low point for any child. Roberto, though it was unclear if the X-Man shared because he wished to or because he didn't want Lance's admission to be too awkward for Lance himself, then spoke quietly.

"And my father is nothing more than a criminal syndicate who gets my family's wealth off the various crime rings and suffering of people caught in his extortions and shady dealings. Pietro's right when he says the thing that hurts the most is how you don't want to be viewed like your father and how you wish you could be nothing like him, that you won't make the same mistakes."

"I didn't know that," Ray said, surprised, as he turned to his Brazilian teammate and/or rival. Roberto shrugged easily enough thanks to distance and personal space.

"It's not something I'd like to advertise to the whole world, Ray," Sunspot grumbled, and a part of his was tensely waiting for Bezerker to laugh in his face so that Roberto would have the perfect reason to beat Ray to a bloody pulp. Yet what Bezerker did next actually surprised him. Ray placed a solid hand on Roberto's shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze.

"You're not your father, you know," he murmured. Roberto stared at Ray thoughtfully for a bit from this unexpected act of compassion, as if seeing the ex-Morlock in a whole new light, before he grinned a bit reluctantly.

"I know…"

"Or the fact that my Pops tried to kill me when I was little…" sniffed Toad.

"Or the fact that I only have **him** to pass off as a Dad!" Althea wailed overdramatically while pointing at Shipwreck. Shipwreck glared at his daughter for the underlying insult.

"Now _that_ one, I can certainly say is certainly tragic," muttered Ororo to herself.

"You know, it _really_ scares me to see how many of you guys have father issues," said Jean, raising an eyebrow uneasily. Rogue and Lance glared at the mutant telekinetic for the slight braggart that was underneath that seemingly innocent observation.

"Well, excuse us for not having your 'Leave-It-To-Beaver' family life, little Miss Princess Perfect!" Rogue snapped, and Jean instantly took to offense as she sized up to Rogue, but Ororo gracefully stopped it before a fight could erupt.

"What on Earth is the Hellfire Club thinking?" Xavier said, asking no one in particular, "They're absolute fools if they think that they can control a demon of such monumental proportions or think that such a demon would ever wish to sire them into his services…"

"Unless if they made a deal with Scath!" gasped Mas y Menos, for once able to deduce a reasonable theory, and Cover Girl whipped her head sharply to the two Hispanic twins, asking in their native tongue to explain what they meant, and the two members of Titans East heartily did so.

"What did the two hyperactive midgets they say, Courtney?" Shipwreck asked, puzzled. Cover Girl then hurriedly translated what the speedsters of Titans East speculated to the attentive group.

"Mas and Menos said that the Hellfire Club must have made a deal with Scath in the first place! And it makes sense! Mas and Menos said that it would explain why Slade came back from the dead and why the Hellions are helping him! The Hellfire Club must have promised Scath and Slade their services to help free Scath into our world if Scath, in return for freeing him, promised them powers and to spare them in the Armageddon! That's why they needed Slade and H.I.V.E! Not only will they provide additional manpower for the Hellfire Club, but they're soldiers and opponents that have dealt with the Teen Titans before! That would allow them to familiarize themselves with Raven's strengths and weaknesses, giving them an easier time to force her to free her father! That's why the Hellions and the Hellfire Club are teaming up with H.I.V.E! Because they're working together to use Raven to free Scath and gain power or whatever they hope to achieve from dooming the Earth! And if this Scath guy is as powerful as Beast Boy and Cyborg said, then it also explains how Slade managed to have such destructive powers all of a sudden! Because they were given to him by Scath!"

"That does make sense," murmured Wolverine, rubbing his chin. Speedy looked at Mas y Menos warily.

"Wow, who would have thought that these two blockheads would ever come off as having a brain cell?" the archer smirked. Mas y Menos glared at their teammate before saying a few choice words in Spanish that Cover Girl decided was best _not_ translating.

"But what could they possibly hope to gain from this?" Althea asked Cover Girl, "I mean, dooming the world will cause the ends of humans _and_ mutants, and I don't think the Hellfire Club is that short-sighted and stupid to want to destroy the world for a little something to boost their egos and standing in the planet! Heck, there won't even **be** a planet if they help Scath!"

"Wavedancer has a point, Dad," Rina remarked to Wolverine, "The Hellfire Club isn't stupid. They must have some sort of scheme of making sure Scath doesn't prove to be a dangerous threat to their safety while at the same time, achieving whatever they need from Scath in the first place."

"We'll worry about that later, but for now, we have to track down Raven before Leomon or the Hellions get to her first," Wolverine muttered.

"There's a problem with that," Robin added as he held up a scanner from his utility belt, "As soon as Rogue explained how Raven took off, I tried tracking her homing signals embedded in the brooch and rings of her uniform, but I can't get any signal, here in Jump City or outside the boundaries of the town! Wherever she is, she's gone far, too far for us to find!"

"Robin, we shouldn't track and hunt her down like she was our enemy!" Professor X retorted, "Raven is as much as a victim in this as the rest of us!"

"There's no choice, Chuck," Logan gruffly said, his actions and mind briskly going through the possible solutions with tactical cunningness in his head, "We either get her now, personal feelings be damned, or we just let Slade and H.I.V.E. get her first. We're also gonna need back-up if we're gonna stop Scath from coming to our world then, and all four of our groups ain't gonna be enough for this job. I mean, we couldn't even hurt that Heartless thing that Slade summoned when we first met off!"

"I agree," Blind Master said steely, "We'll have to contact everyone who can try to help offer some resistance to the Hellfire Club's plans with Raven and Scath…not only does it include having General Hawk get all the Joes we can spare, but the Justice League and their friends, Dr. Strange, Longshot and his teammates from Mojo's dimension, the Eloi, and even the Dinosaucers."

"_Dinosaucers?_" Jean repeated, the word foreign to her. The African ninja master turned to the red-haired X-Girl wearily.

"We'll explain later, Jean, but for now, we will have to regroup all our allies if we hope to stop the Hellfire Club…"

"Wait!" protested Avalanche, "What about Leomon? He could help us out too! After all, he did before!"

"No, it'll be too risky, and he might even be helping Scath in the first place. We still don't know where his loyalties lie," Piotr said. Lance glared at the X-Man.

"That's not funny, Russkie," he growled, and Colossus returned the glare wholeheartedly.

"It wasn't meant as a joke, Rock-Head," he shot back with an insult, "We still don't know for sure if Leomon is on our side or not, even if he is fighting the Hellfire Club and even though he does know more than what he's telling us and he has the power to destroy those Heartless creatures. We can't just risk everything on the fact that he seems to be the lesser of two evils! The term 'the enemy of my enemy is also my friend' doesn't always apply, you know! And besides, don't you remember? Leomon said he wasn't going to help us fight the first time we ran into him at Jump City Harbor! He said whatever qualms we have with our enemies were of no concern of his."

"Funny you should mention that, then…" Jean murmured aloud, "Then, it could mean that the Hellfire Club isn't the main target for Leomon in the first place! Remember what Peter just said? He knows Slade and the Hellions were fighting against us and the Titans, but he refers to them as **our** enemies, not **his** enemies."

"I get it!" Althea murmured at once, "Leomon isn't gunning for H.I.V.E and the Hellfire Club like we are. That's why he called them '**your** enemies', not as 'our enemies'. And plus, during the battle with the Hellions and H.I.V.E, Leomon didn't attack any of them. He only attacked that Heartless monster before it could kill Lance and Spirit. He never fought personally with any of the representatives from the Hellfire Club himself."

"Exactly! So the Hellfire Club isn't his target after all! He's not on the same mission as we are!"

"But then who else could Leomon be fighting, Red?" Toad asked, his eyes wide, "I don't think a big, fuzzy lion warrior would even bother showing up unless he had a big reason to be here, yo! And if he's not after the Hellfire Club or the Hellions or Slade, then who else could he be aft-…oh!"

Toad trailed off with the exclamation, gasping, but everyone else then guessed the same thought Toad did.

"Raven…" Starfire blurted out in shock, "Leomon is after Friend Raven!"

"Could he be after Raven because of her powers as well, then?" Shipwreck asked.

"Anything is possible, especially with Leomon being a wild card in this fight," Spirit muttered, though in his heart, despite the logic running through his mind, refused to believe that Leomon was evil as well.

Yet before they could ponder this, the skies began to ominously darken, and in surprise, the heroes looked up to see that the very sun was beginning to die, blocked by the moon in a speedily growing eclipse.

"What the hell?" Low Light gasped, but several of the adults instantly guessed the truth.

"The skies will burn…" murmured Cover Girl, reciting the prophecy of Slade from Rogue's revelation.

"Flesh will become stone…" Ororo said, her body shaking with sudden cold as she unconsciously gripped her elbows.

"And the sun will set on our world…" Blind Master recalled with growing dread and horror.

"Never to rise again…" Roadblock finished as the sun fully extinguished, instantly causing the entire city to be engulfed by the shade of twilight, a sure sign of an evil omen, or danger approaching. After all, full and total eclipses of the sun out of nowhere generally don't happen on a basic principle.

"Oh no, it's happening!" Scott yelped.

"Raven must be in grave danger!" gasped Starfire.

"And how right you are, my dear Titan, but I wouldn't worry about leaving to go look for your precious friend. In fact, you and the rest of your sorry troupe of heroes won't be leaving at all…" Slade's voice rang out from the rooftops all around them. The X-Men, the Teen Titans, the Titans East, the Misfits, and the Joes looked up, startled to see Slade and the Hellions looking down on them, smirking smugly. And they were not alone. All around were grotesquely deformed creatures of the blackest night, with sickening visages and humanoid appendages and physiques and glowing yellow eyes, making guttural noises of pain, discomfort and bestial killer instinct. There had to be at least over a hundred of them. And on each of the abominations was the familiar red-and-black symbol of the crossed out heart, the badge of the Heartless.

"Ready for round two, X-Geeks?" sneered Bevatron.

"Oh no!" Pietro practically wailed out loud.

"_Mein Gott!_ They're Heartless! An entire **army** of them! Slade must have created more of them!" Kurt gasped.

"Shit!" cursed Shipwreck, taking out his dual Eagle pistols with one fluid motion, "We're surrounded!"

"And the day has only just begun, my dear Joe," Slade said in a final monotone voice before he and the Hellions charged, leaping upon the heroes from the sky as the Heartless followed.

**Author's Notes: Check back next Friday for the chapter, "Raven's Final Gamble"! We will finally learn what Brother Blood and Blackheart have in store for Raven while the Titans, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Joes fight for their very lives against Slade and his army, but is it too late? Will the Armageddon be averted? And what exactly does Leomon have to do in all of this? Find out next time, and until then, read and enjoy and review!**


	7. Raven's Final Gamble

**CHAPTER 7: Raven's Final Gamble**

"I hope you are rather comfortable for the ceremony, Raven," Brother Blood drawled in a poisonously seductive voice as he and Blackheart stood at the head of the altar of Azarath along with a regretful and extremely pained Arella. Raven bit her tongue in rebellious silence, though inside, she was in complete and utter despair.

Her own mother betrayed her. She was alone, her friends and the few people who could understand her awaiting their doom upon Earth, and her secrets about her past and heritage now known thanks to Rogue. She was sure that her friends now hated her, were repulsed by her. Abandoned, with no family or people to protect her…she truly was the scourge of all of Azarath and the mortal world.

Raven wept silently, the tears running down her cheeks in sorrow and fear as she tried to fight against the bonds that Blackheart and Brother Blood magically entwined her in. Her wrists were lashed together by a band of crimson energy, as red as the hottest fire and the freshest spilled blood, and these energy handcuffs were connected to by a collar made of similar energy wrapped around her neck like a noose, making it difficult for the Titan to breathe as it choked her, burning her skin. And in addition to these restraints were two sets of red rings that lashed her upper arms to her body, squeezing her torso like a vise, while the second ring bound her legs together, preventing her from running. And to make it even more humiliating, Brother Blood had the rings position themselves in such a way that it forced Raven to sit in a kneeling position right in front of the representatives of the Hellfire Club, on both knees as if she was a subordinate, as if she was bowing to them.

Raven would have opted for death had it been a choice since it probably would have been less embarrassing and painful. Blackheart's eyes gleamed a bit in triumph and satisfaction as he lumbered over to the subjected girl and leaned down, peering into her face. Raven was tempted to spit into the demon's face, and then suddenly regretted not doing so when Blackheart roughly grabbed her chin with his clawed thumb and forefinger, studying her face.

Blackheart then said in his inhuman voice, "**_You truly are a remarkable child, young Raven. Had you been known to the Organization earlier, we would have gladly welcomed you as a member with your strengths and power…_**"

"Get your hands off me!" hissed Raven as loudly as she could, the jewel embedded in her forehead starting to glow intensely with her telekinetic powers due to her anger and outrage. But upon the use of her telekinesis and rage, the restraints around her body began to crackle before pulsing, red energy snaked throughout her body like electricity, and the Teen Titan screamed in pain as the surge burned her skin, leaving her in agony before it mercifully subsided. Raven panted, trying to quell the urge to vomit, as she started to cry. God, it hurt so much. Even being hit with an exposed power line would have been less excruciating. Arella gasped, and she made an attempt to scurry to her daughter's side, but Blackheart stopped her with his claw, forcing the robed woman to remain still.

Raising an eyebrow, Brother Blood said in a condescending tone, as if he was scolding a small child, "Temper, temper, Titan. Those energy bindings we trapped you with will cause you pain each time you even attempt to use your powers against us."

"**_And we are extremely lucky to have been able to do so…_**" muttered Blackheart darkly as he slowly ran one clawed hand over the numerous burns and lacerations on his right thigh and side, "**_You were not easy to subdue, young Raven…_**"

Indeed, Brother Blood and Blackheart inwardly flinched at the memories of how badly Raven fought tooth and nail using her powers of her soul and her shadow-forces of telekinesis, not only using her powers to try to rip and decapitate the two intruders upon sight, but she summoned numerous objects and nearby implements to use as deadly shrapnel and projectiles to bludgeon Brother Blood and Blackheart to death. It took about fifteen minutes before the members of the Hellfire Club could physically subjugate the girl and magically imprison her. But even then and unable to use her telekinesis, Raven managed to successfully bite Blackheart on the arm and leaving deep teeth marks, and when Blackheart gave her a slap across the face for her impudence, this earned him a well-placed kick between the legs (which was why they decided to lash her feet together as well).

Had Raven not been vital to the Organization and the Hellfire Club's plans, Blackheart would have gladly killed Raven right there and then (after he recovered from the pain, of course).

Blackheart was sullenly cross, especially since he was a representative of the Thirteenth Order, a council that had dealt and toyed with the forces of Light and Darkness that dwarfed Trigon and his legacy. To have Trigon's daughter easily put up a fight with Blackheart, a creature and demon that could easily be classified as the Anti-Christ himself, was worrisome. Brother Blood, however, appeared as fresh as a daisy, especially since Raven and Arella could see, to their surprise, that every cut and wound and bruise Raven gave Brother Blood had healed themselves, leaving him unscathed.

Another side-benefit to the Cadmus' work on "Operation: Shaggy Man".

"Enough with the stalling," Brother Blood said as he then turned to Arella, commanding sternly, "If you wish to save your daughter and Azarath when Trigon manages to arrive to Earth, let us commence with the ceremony. And I warn you Arella, betray the Hellfire Club in any way, and you shall never be able to save your daughter or Azar's legacy…"

"No! I…I will give my blessings for the wedding! Please, just keep your promise and spare my daughter!" Arella gasped, jumping in hurriedly and intent on doing whatever Brother Blood demanded. Yet Raven's head perked up at this statement, horrified.

"What?" she gasped, hoping to God that she heard wrong. Marriage? With _Brother Blood_? Such a thought was enough to make Raven vomit out of nausea until her stomach was empty. Brother Blood's grin became truly vulpine, crafty and thoroughly relishing the dawning realization of fear and dread on the teenager's face.

Brother Blood explained, "It is all part of the Hellfire Club's grand plan to ensure our safety during the Armageddon once the arrival of Trigon comes to pass. You see, by the prophetic revelations of the Head Priest, Azar, and his faithful order centuries ago, Trigon may indeed use you as his portal, but you, his one and only child, in all definitions of the term, shall be safe while Azarath and Earth shall perish if and only if you are bonded in heart and soul to another person. Unfortunately, by your same law, two souls can only merge during the ceremony of holy matrimony…in other words, the sanctity of marriage. However, by Azarathian law, if any two beings are wed and given blessing by any member of Azar's order, then any powers and statuses between the two beings shall be shared. And you, my dear Raven, are a Chosen Child of Trigon's legacy, a child in between the world of Azarath and Trigon's evil, a girl born with unspeakable and infinite powers, enough to make her a god. Should I manage to ever marry you, we could create a blessed union that could very well rule the world. I, myself, altered by the body of the Shaggy Man, could be invincible and with your powers, I would truly be an almighty being beyond any mortal coil of the pitiful planet of Earth! And since I am a representative of the Hellfire Club, the marriage performed with you shall also protect my standing with them, and by consequence, the Hellfire Club's standings and soldiers, including Emma Frost's precious Hellions. And by the same token, because I would share your soul thanks to the act of marriage, the union shall ensure that a part of your soul shall remain whole and safe while your body perishes from being used as the portal to bring about the end for Earth. In other words, the marriage shall protect you from dying upon opening the portal, and it shall protect myself and the Hellfire Club and the Hellions from the Armageddon, leaving us free to rule over the planet as true sovereigns."

"You sick deviant!" Raven hissed, "There is no way you'll ever gain the blessings of Azar's order, especially to someone like you! And you're an idiot if you think Trigon will remain faithful to you and the Hellfire Club for freeing him! He's the embodiment of all evil in Azarath! He'll betray you as soon as it suits him!"

At this, Blackheart eyes gleamed shrewdly and rather deviously as he rumbled, "**_Ah, you must think that the Hellfire Club is foolish to not foresee that possibility. I assure you, daughter of Trigon, that the oracles of the Hellfire Club have prophesized that Trigon shall never rule the Earth. Yet during his brief stay, should he manage to destroy the Titans and G.I. Joe and the mutants with them, then it shall be an incredible side-benefit for the Organization once the Heartless invade the Earth at the Gathering of Twilight…_**"

"Even so, the marriage shall not be honored!" Raven shrieked, frantic, "I will never accept Brother Blood as my husband! That alone nullifies the union!"

"**_Ah, but it can be overridden if a higher order member gives the blessing for you, Raven…_**" Blackheart snarled with pitiless satisfaction. Raven's face turned white as she turned her hurt, shining eyes at her mother, Arella, who was standing at the head of the altar with self-loathing and grief.

She then knew why her mother was needed with Brother Blood and Blackheart…

"No, Mother! You can't! You can't doom the Earth like this! **Please!**" the Titan Goth pleaded, whimpering and nearly weeping with loss of hope. But Arella gave Raven a look of utmost sorrow as she trembled, her white robe quivering.

"I am truly sorry, Raven," she said, her voice and eyes misty as if she was about to break down right then and there, choking, "But…I cannot allow Trigon to survive and wreck havoc on Earth just as he did with Azarath. Already, I am the only surviving priest of Azar's order, and the very future of Azarath is threatened towards extinction. I cannot stand by and allow the prophecy to come to pass without some way of ensuring that you would be spared and that Trigon can never darken this world under his infinite omnipotence. If Brother Blood and the Hellfire Club and the Organization ever triumph during the marriage, then at least Trigon shall not rule and the Heartless shall be the lesser of two evils to engulf the Earth. And at least then, Azarath as well as you shall be spared from oblivion…"

"Is **that** why you agreed to this, then?" screamed Raven, now hysterical, "Is **that** why you betrayed me to Brother Blood! Mother, you cannot do this! Preserving Azar's benevolence isn't worth the risk of destroying the Earth! Just because the Heartless are not part of Trigon's influence does not mean that they're the better option! _Arella, stop this!_ **Don't do this!** **_You can't!_**"

Arella pleaded, "Raven, please do not fight this! This was the only way to save your life and Azarath's legacy and heritage to the worlds beyond. Raven, please understand that I am doing this to protect you, because I do not wish to lose you! I do not wish to see you perish to the birthright of your father, that I promised you to Brother Blood so that I could continue to help and love you, like I always have! Just like I have done to raise you under Azar's care and instruction for peace and light and hid you away from Trigon's knowledge!"

Raven then lost it completely as Blackheart picked her up forcefully by the nape of her neck.

"I would rather die! I would rather die than doom the world and my friends! You are no mother of mine! A mother would never selfishly endanger her own child like this! **_You're no better than Trigon!_**" Raven spat. At this, Arella's heart broke as she brought her slim hands to her face and started weeping softly, but Blackheart was in no mood for emotion as he carried the struggling Raven.

"**_Commence the ceremony, Brother Blood…_**" Blackheart intoned.

"Let go of me!" Raven howled, but Blackheart grabbed the Teen Titan by the neck, his claws encircled around her throat and squeezing none to gently, stifling her screams. Brother Blood then donned the cape Arella had bequeathed to him whole Arella, still broken and entirely regretful, handed the member of the Hellfire Club a simple ring consisting of a plain golden band with runes carved inside and out. Brother Blood smiled as he knelt over and forced the ring on Raven's finger in her right hand.

"Do not fight it, my dear, for there is nothing you can do," Blood said in a jesting tone, "The ring of Azar, worn by the High Priest himself, bind you to me while the Mantle of Azarath I bear over myself grants me the power to force you to complete the rituals to summon Trigon as we have promised him. The Mantle of Azarath, the cloak that had been believed to be the prayer shawl of Jesus Christ himself, grants me and you instant immortality and power beyond any man's wildest dreams! And as much as you believe otherwise, you nor your newfound friends and allies can do anything to stop it…"

"But **I** can stop it! GAIA…FIST OF THE BEAST KING!" roared a familiar voice from high above, and upon the words, Blackheart's eyes began to glow as he raised a claw and summoned a rune of mystical blue energy, encasing himself, Arella, Brother Blood and Raven.

"**_Inferno!_**" Blackheart intoned, and immediately, the rune circle let loose a furious barrage of artic ice, shielding all four of the residents as the assault of ki energy in the shape of the lion's head struck them full-blast, yet incredibly, it left them unharmed and intact. Raven's breath caught in her throat as she and the others saw Leomon leap gracefully down from the rooftops of the altar, his sword drawn and his eyes narrowed in new peaks of viciousness and fury, his snout bared into a snarl.

"Blackheart…" Leomon spat with disgust and the want for untold vengeance, instantly recognizing the demon sent by the Thirteenth Order, "I should have known you would be here, involved with the Armageddon."

Blackheart turned to Brother Blood and Arella, rumbling, "**_I shall distract the lion. Complete the ceremony as promised by the Hellfire Club to Trigon. Open the portal!_**"

"I'LL KILL THE KID FIRST BEFORE I LET THAT HAPPEN!" Leomon snarled as he blitzed, his legs a mere blur from dashing so fast at incredible speeds but Blackheart raised his hands as the symbol of the Heartless began to glow intensely on his chest.

"**_Final Judgment!_**" the demon yelled, and instantly, numerous spirits and dark demons attacked Leomon as they materialized out of nowhere only to set themselves upon the lion swordsman with teeth and claws bared and ready to rip him to shreds. Leomon managed to hack and slice his way through the demon army with his sword before he ignored the rest of the pestilence and leapt out towards the other three, his sword specifically drawn to Raven…

_Kaaa-sshhaaakkkkk!_

Leomon growled as he was pushed back by the shield of mystical energy that Blackheart encased Arella, Brother Blood, and Raven with right before Leomon could kill all four of them with his Fist of the Beast King. At the same time, Brother Blood was holding Raven close to his body while Arella took out a slim, silver dagger in the shape of a beautiful and exquisite cross from the folds of her cloak. Raven didn't even have time to yelp in pain as she drove the knife into Raven and Brother Blood's joined hands, the blade gouging through their palms and pinning their hands together in a symbolic union, the blood pouring through their wounds and mixing together.

"No…" whispered Raven as Arella said in a choking voice of grief, giving her blessing on behalf of Azar's order.

"I, Arella, High Priestess of Azarath and the surviving member of Azar's Order, hereby bless the union between Brother Blood, member of the Hellfire Club, and my daughter, Raven, child of Azarath and Trigon. By the relics of the Mantle of Azarath and the Ring of Azar, I pray for the blessings of honor and power that is between these two souls. By the power and might of all the spirits of Azarath, I invoke the blessings of the union of souls…"

"No!" yelled Raven and Leomon at once before Leomon attempted to break through the barrier again, but Arella continued in as calm of a voice as she could muster, her eyes hollow and empty from her grief and hurt at betraying her daughter.

"_Azarath Metrion Zinthos…_" Arella intoned.

"Yes…" Brother Blood hissed as he felt Raven's soul and power begin to flow into his consciousness, into his very being and heart.

"_Kashakan Reverklakim Quarala…_" Arella whispered, shaking as Blackheart blasted Leomon again before the lion solder could try using another Fist of the Beast King to break the shield.

"No…" whispered Raven as the red runes, the very writings of doom that appeared when Slade showed her the prophecy on that night of her birthday, began to glow brightly upon her skin again as three circles of red energy began to surround her, "No, stop it!"

Arella continued as if she had never heard her daughter's pleas for mercy.

"_Zinthos Rumbinach Karzatay Yannult…_" Arella intoned.

"No!" Raven cried as she began to fade away, the runes engulfing her body with white light and slowly erasing her physical body from view, having it perish bit by bit as the light spread, slowly but surely.

"_…Utal Weqak Azarath Pietag Juriv Metrion Manaclay Essau Vidurion!_" finished Arella in a final tone before she clasped her hands to her mouth and weakly began crying again as her daughter was soon disappearing forever. Yet Raven's final thoughts were on her friends, how they would be at Trigon's mercy, and how they, the X-Men, and the Misfits would perish. She did not want that to happen to them, so with her last breath, the witch whispered her final act of friendship as she sent as much of her soul and power out to Earth as she could…

"Be safe…" Raven whispered before the light consumed her, and she vanished entirely.

"**It is done!**" crowed Brother Blood in a final triumphant voice, his aura all around his body now gleaming with the power and soul he stole from Raven right before he summoned the telltale shadow powers to teleport himself, Arella, and Blackheart out of the temple and away from Leomon's threat.

"No!" howled Leomon, but Brother Blood, Blackheart, and Arella were gone, leaving him alone in the now desecrated temple of Azarath.

"Damn it!" cursed Leomon before he quickly turned around and fled Azarath as quickly as he could. If Brother Blood and Blackheart truly had been able to invoke the portal, then that meant…

"By the Great Beast, may Fate help us as of now…" Leomon murmured darkly, the closest thing he could ever say to a prayer as he jumped through a rift in the time and space continuum to make his way to Earth as speedily as he could.

---

Meanwhile, the battle between Slade and the heroes over at Jump City was arriving gruesomely and violently at a stalemate…

"You all really have no choice in this matter," Slade crowed, his eye gleaming in triumph as all around him was a pure maelstrom of deadly fire glowing as hotly as the Mark of Scath on his forehead, "The Hellfire Club and the darkness shall triumph over all of your pitiful attempts to delay the inevitable. The portal shall be opened, and _He_ shall arise again…"

"Aw, shut up, and stick that mumbo-jumbo up your ass, Slade!" Low Light snarled as he rushed at Slade, his fists ready while Storm already flew above, high in the sky, all the meanwhile summoning ferocious clouds and artic winds of sub-zero temperatures, besieging the Heartless and Slade with hail and the cold.

"You are sorely mistaken, Slade, if you think that we will allow you to hurt Raven or any of the other children!" she declared in a hard voice, brimming with anger. In conjunction to her mood, the winds began howling as some of the Heartless screamed while the winds tore at their faces with bullets of ice, the hail as sharp as any knife and just as deadly. Unable to escape the snow, the Heartless could only moan and wail in pain as their faces and black flesh were cut to ribbons from the pelting shards of hail and snow, their bodies now starting to be leaden with snow and frost, weakening their limbs and draining their energy bit by bit. Ororo then growled before she concentrated her attack directly on Slade himself, her hands pointing directly at the assassin and summoning a tornado of wind and ice to surround the messenger of the Hellfire Club, but undaunted, Slade raised his hands and a snake of flame quickly engulfed the winds and ice without any effort. Storm gasped at how quickly he nullified one of Nature's strongest forces. Slade then was about to incinerate Storm but Low Light was quicker.

"Not wise about leaving yourself completely open during Storm's distraction, Slade!" Low Light roared, changing into solid steel, his body stats now naturally increased significantly in defense and strength before he charged at Slade with fists flying. Now forgetting his attempts to kill Ororo, Slade, forced to fight hand-to-hand, leapt back without much worry as he nimbly evaded every punch and kick the Joe sniper sent at him before returning a few punches on his own. Low Light winced as Slade was apparently strong enough to even leave solid fist-shaped indentations in a hunk of steel metal that was at least a two feet thick. Yet being a soldier for G.I. Joe for a number of years taught Low light a few things. With a lunge, Low Light sent himself flying at Slade with his elbow first, and Slade simply sidestepped, letting Low Light rush by before he delivered a crippling blow on the lumbar region of the Joe's spine. Or at least he thought. Low Light, in split-second timing, transformed himself into a pink gaseous cloud as Slade's foot just made contact but then while the assassin's foot was flying into Low Light's vaporous mass, Low Light _then_ transformed back into steel form, and to Slade's surprise, he found himself facing Low Light with his foot firmly pinned and embedded into the center of Low Light's chest, stuck between mid-transformation. And that one moment of surprise was enough time for Low Light before he deftly grabbed the sides of Slade's mask and twisted hard.

There was a satisfying crack.

Low Light said solemnly as he transformed and released his hold on Slade's dead body, letting it topple to the ground, "It's over, Slade."

Yet to Low Light's surprise, Slade's foot came to life before it struck Low Light directly into the chest hard, causing the blond G.I. Joe to go reeling back, coughing up blood. Damn it, he could have sworn that he heard a rib break. Low Light looked up to see, to his astonishment, Slade get up easily from his sprawled position on the floor before he grotesquely placed his hands on the sides of his own head and realigned his broken neck back into place with a series of disgusting and sickening sounds of bone breaking. Low Light's jaw dropped.

Slade should have been dead! No one could survive a broken neck!

Slade then summoned his flames of Trigon's evil fire from his hands, his voice now laced with malice, "You have now truly begun to anger me, Joe."

But before Slade could melt Low Light into a puddle of liquid steel, a voice called out right before Slade was rammed back with incredible force before he was sent flying into and through the wall of a nearby building. Slade didn't even let out a sound, but Low Light saw the fleeting look of surprise behind the assassin's mask as Cannonball thrust Slade with the same force of a one-ton swinging wrecking ball.

"Then add **me** to the list, Slade! Leave him alone, ya' flamin' cow-pie!" Cannonball yelled as Slade collided with the brick wall and was left partially buried under rubble. Sam then turned to Low Light worriedly, but the sniper grinned appreciatively at the X-Teen.

"Thanks for the assist, Sam."

At the same time, Shipwreck, Roadblock and Cover Girl were shooting at any Heartless they could get in range, with Cover Girl using Low Light's sniper rifle, Roadblock using his machine gun, and Shipwreck using his dual Eagle pistols. Despite their limited number of bullets, the Joes used their ammunition sparingly, conserving whatever they had and not wasting a single metal projectile for empty air. Knowing that with so many Heartless could easily overwhelm them in seconds, the Misfit-handlers opted to take out the front lines of the Heartless army as best as they could as the army of Slade tried to swarm all around their group, and with the dead Heartless lying dead in front of their fellow monsters, the creatures behind them were significantly slowed down as they tried to make their way around the barricade of dead Heartless monstrosities.

However, Cover Girl, Shipwreck, and Roadblock soon realized that for every one Heartless they killed, three to four more took its place. If anything, the Heartless army was growing larger and larger, multiplying before the Joes' very eyes. Slade seemed to have no end of these evil creatures.

"Where are these things coming from?" Cover Girl shouted over the din of the wails and growls of the dying demons of darkness, "They keep coming on towards us! The bullets don't even slow them down! Nothing we do scares them to back off! It's like they're not afraid to die!"

Cover Girl then readied her bead in the very center of the forehead of one hulking and grotesque Heartless with tentacles instead of arms before she fired from the scope of her rifle. The Heartless died without a sound as it toppled to the street, in spasms of the throes of death while glistening pools of dark liquid leaked from its messily ripped head.

"Charley, can't you use your telepathy and knock 'em out for us?" Shipwreck yelled as he let loose several bullets into the head of a charging Heartless, its claws raised high over its head and ready to slash and hack Shipwreck where he stood. Upon the siege of bullets at its weak point, the Heartless fell, half of its head now missing and leaving a gory hole of black flesh and matter. Professor Xavier shook his head as Roadblock let loose several rounds at another line of the Heartless.

"I can't! It's exactly how we tangled with the fire Heartless Slade summoned back at the Jump City Bay! The Heartless are immune to my telepathy! They're mindless souls, unaware of their surroundings and only have a drive to do as they are told! I can't use my telepathy on something that has no mind, no consciousness of its own! They are mere puppets being controlled by Slade somehow!"

"Then knock out Slade! Without their master, the Heartless will be easy to evade!" Roadblock yelled as he shot another monster. Yet the Professor shook his head again.

"I can't! He now had stronger mental shields as opposed to last time! I can't shut him down even if I tried to my full capacity! Wherever Slade is, he's much prepared against myself or Jean's mental probes!"

"Great, just great! This possibly couldn't be any more perfect!" Shipwreck griped sarcastically, his voice hard, as he aimed and fired a bullet directly into the left eye of another Heartless, causing it to perish instantly as the bullet entered its skull and tore into its brain. Yet Bobby then had an idea…

"This should slow 'em down!" Iceman yelled as he then used his powers to stop the incoming Heartless by creating a wall of ice all around, trapping several of the dark monsters and actually entombing them into the frozen wall. Enraged, the Heartless began roaring as they pounded and slammed the solid ice barrier with their claws and appendages, the drones doing their best to break through and charge their way through the artic frost. Yet Tarot then came to her allies' aid…

"Fire Card! Melt the ice wall!" she commanded as she drew the aforementioned card, animating it with her mutant ability, as to Bobby's extreme disappointment, flames spewed forth from the tarot card right before it consumed the ice walls Bobby had created, and with a loud hiss and a surge of hot steam, the blockades were reduced to steaming puddles in minutes, freeing the Heartless and allowing them to continue on, unhindered.

"Hey, no fair!" Bobby yelled. Tarot sneered at the teenage member of the X-Men.

"I'm a Hellion. The Hellfire Club says you're not supposed to fight fair," the red-haired mutant shot back without much remorse as she drew a Rope Card, thinking of helping the Heartless by using it to incapacitate the X-Men and the Joes, but Dragonfly was quicker…

"I don't think so, you witch!" Dragonfly yelled as she flew by with her wings aimed directly at the stack of cards in Tarot's hands, and taken aback, Tarot jumped back as far as she could, and Lina's wings brushed past, but somehow miraculously succeeding in shredding a good number of the cards in the Hellions' hands, and leaving Tarot's fingers shredded and bleeding.

"My cards!" Tarot shrieked with rage at how the female Misfit demolished them. Now livid, Tarot held up one of her few intact cards from her other hand.

"Harpoon Card!" she screamed, and Lina gasped as a metal spear materialized out of thin air with a flash of light before it sped like an arrow directly at the insect-like mutant in the air, ready to pierce her directly in the heart. But Bobby was quicker…

"Lina, get down!" he cried, and Lina ducked, shielding her head with her arms as Bobby created a wall of ice in front of Dragonfly, allowing the harpoon to fully embed itself into the ice without harming Lina.

"Are you all right, Lina?" Bobby asked as he ran to the girl's side, worried, as Toad and Xi immediately pounced upon Tarot, attacking her with multiple kicks and punches. Lina then flung her arms around Bobby's neck and hugged him gratefully.

"Oh Bobby, you saved me! Thank you!" Lina cried, still shaken at how close she was to being killed. Bobby looked as if he won a million dollars as he wrapped his arms around Lina's slim waist and hugged her back soothingly, not caring that a jealous Fred was giving him the evil eye rather wrathfully.

Score one for the Ice-Cube…

Wolverine dashed by madly in between the Heartless, his adamantium claws drawn out and shining without a speck of dust or tarnish, glittering under whatever faint traces of sunlight managed to find their way through the total solar eclipse. None of the Heartless were even agile and quick enough to grab the elder X-Man as he dashed madly in between them, not caring if he was in the very thick of the enemy battalion. Leaping and strafing and running like a wild animal, Wolverine easily brushed past the Heartless and sank his claws deep into their heads, their sides, slicing their legs as easily as a knife through butter….any part of the Heartless' bodies that Logan could get at. Some fell, mortally wounded, while others sank, twitching, heavily injured and crippled, but not entirely dead and they leaked dark-colored blood. Still, it made no difference to Logan. Any wounds that did damage to the creatures of the Hellfire Club was fine with him.

Meanwhile, the Hellion Beef was having a little bit of an embarrassing predicament…

"Yeow! Let go of my butt, you little worm!" Beef yelped as he tried to reach behind his back towards his posterior to where Silkie, the pet mutated worm of the Titans, was stubbornly sinking his razor sharp teeth into Beef's flesh. Yet amazingly, the worm scurried over and over out of the way of the mutant's fingers right before chomping hard on Beef's rear again, leaving multiple bleeding lacerations. Beef couldn't even have his hands get close to brush against the mutated larvae. And Lockheed, never one to leave a friend alone to fight, helped his fellow animal ally by diving over and over around the Hellion's head and letting loose furious blasts of dragon-flame.

"_Yeeeoooooowwww!_ That hurt!" Beef screamed as his face and head was now singed and sporting second to third-degree burns while parts of his blond hair were still aflame and smoking. Lockheed then left a special personal gift in addition to his fire-breath as he let loose…

"**Aaaaauuuuuuggggghhhh!** That's it, you little Barney-reject! When I get this worm off my butt, you're dead, you hear me! Both you and the Titans' stupid Silkie are dead!" Beef bellowed as he chased Lockheed who was trying his best to flap and maneuver in the air out of Beef's reach, the Hellion now sporting a rather unpleasant pile of dragon-dung on his forehead, the mess dripping off his hair. Yet Cyborg then decided enough was enough as Beef suddenly found himself at the receiving end of a powerful stream of sonic energy, the blue column of power cutting through the air. And despite his superhuman strength and invulnerability, Beef was unable to maintain his ground as the detonation of sonic force sent Beef flying high at an elevated angle before Beef crashed into the third-story windows of a nearby skyscraper, the glass shattering and cutting him multiple times upon impact, leaving a jagged hole.

"_Uh-uh_, hands off the dragon and worm, Beef!" snarled Cyborg, his bionic sonic cannon on his right arm still smoking slightly from the discharge he plunged right into the center of the Hellion's chest. Next to him, Lockheed and Silkie roared and squealed appreciatively.

Meanwhile, Hank spotted a fallen concrete streetlight that had somehow been knocked over during the deadly brawl…

"Gambit, I must request of your assistance with that streetlight from your position on your left!" Beast ordered in an urgent yet somehow inappropriately polite tone. Remy looked at the stone pole, blinking twice before it came to him what Beast wanted him to do. The Cajun X-Man then knelt down next to the streetlight and laid in hands upon the scratchy surface, transferring massive amount of bio-kinetic energy into the structure itself while Razor and Bezerker provided Beast and Gambit cover from Bevatron using a combination of their glovatrixes and martial arts. Within several seconds, the lamppost was glowing bright red as the energy Remy pumped into it rearranged the molecules to a very unstable state at their very core levels.

"It's all yours, _mon ami_!" Remy announced as he backed off. With a grunt, Beast hefted the incredibly burdensome pole of stone and metal above his head, his ape-like hands firmly gripping the column firmly. Using every fiber of his strength, Beast flung the streetlight pole as far as he could at a small gaggle of Heartless that was making their way towards Speedy and Bumblebee. The Heartless gave several noises of confusion as the very last thing they saw was the incoming, glowing stone pillar descending upon them…

**_KAAA-WHHHOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!_**

"Nice shot, you guys!" Bumblebee cheered as she and Speedy were able to hastily retreat while the explosion killed many Heartless at once and sent their nearby comrades flying.

Yes, the battle was quite ugly and neither side was appearing to be winning over the other. At best, the Misfits, the Titans, and the X-Men could only stall Slade and the Hellions.

Unfortunately, the tide of battle took a turn for the worse…

"Hey, what's happening?" Tabitha gasped, several energy bombs ready in her hands, as she and the others could see the Heartless roaring as they slowly but surely retreated, their yellow eyes glowing hotly with glassy expressions on their blank faces.

"Huh? They're…they're not attacking us?" Beast Boy asked, stunned, as he reverted back to his human form from the elephant he had previously transformed into to crush several Heartless. Yet Slade and the Hellions' expressions grew smug as the sky began to glow an intense red, the color or lava and blood, the clouds now turning black.

Blind Master gasped as he sensed the disturbance in the air, his senses screaming as a cold wave of evil aura started gather all around Jump City, and he yelled in his communicator, "Everyone, something's coming! I can sense it! Whatever is happening, it's happening now!"

"'The skies will burn'…" Amara gasped as she held her hands over her mouth, quoting the sentence she remembered from the prophecy, "Oh by the Gods of Nova Roma, he's coming! Scath's coming, you guys! Slade and the Hellions must have managed to bring him into our world!"

"And now you shall witness the futileness of fighting against the inevitable might and power of my master and the Hellfire Club, you delusional fools…" Slade remarked as the sky began to glow, a rift of time and space in this current dimension of Earth began to glow intensely like a nova of white light. Indeed, all of them, the Titans, the Joes, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the people of Jump City could all witness the tear in the fabric of reality growing larger and larger.

"Oh shit…" cursed Shipwreck.

The hole was now immense, the size of Jump City itself, and the X-Men, the Joes, the Teen Titans, and the Titans East could see a large figure making his way through…

"Holy goddamned kats!" exclaimed Jake.

A colossal hand, clawed and with leathery, tough skin as red as blood and marked with brown scars plunged its way through the portal before making a fist. The appendage was so large, it could have easily crushed an entire Sentinel robot like one crushes an empty soda can.

"No way! It can't be! It just can't!" Piotr shouted in dread.

Two sets of demonic eyes managed to peer down upon the battle as the rest of the figure's face was shrouded and silhouetted by the intense light radiating from behind it.

"Goddess…" Ororo whispered, her face blanched, white, and clammy with fear.

A foot then landed heavily upon the pavement of the city, causing the nearby buildings to crumble, crushed at once, while the foot caused enough of a tremor to make a sizable tidal wave in Jump City Bay…

"Oh my God, it's Scath!" Rogue gasped.

"**_The Earth is mine!_**" howled Trigon in exuberant glee as the thousand-foot demon now emerged fully in his entire glory from the portal, his voice echoing through the entire continent, and with a sneer, the demon lord raised one hand before a crackling nova of red energy materialized from his fingers and let loose an explosion that engulfed the city in crimson fury.

"No! We won't let this happen!" Spirit cried out, yet before the light engulfed them, the Misfits, the teenage X-Men, the Teen Titans, and Titans East were suddenly covered with a ball of dark shadows, each adolescent shielded by a soothing and cool telekinetic force.

And slowly but surely, all the buildings in Jump City and indeed, the entire world, was reduced to rubble as the lakes and oceans dried out, the air grew thick with sulfur and ash, and every living thing perished upon sight, instant and quickly with no suffering, as the red aura of Trigon spread quickly throughout the whole globe, changing it from a beautiful planet of flora and water to a mass of cinders and a ball of glowing lava and barren, dead rock.

"**_Yes, this world and all that live shall be under my rule!_**" Trigon declared before he turned to Slade and the Hellions, "**_And you have kept your part of the bargain, so I shall uphold mine! The Hellfire Club and their associates shall be my right hand!_**"

"Yes, and now that you have arrived, we can finally discuss about you returning what has been lost to me…" Slade began but trailed off in shock and horror as he saw a group of familiar figures emerge from the cloud of smoke and steam from the surrounding magma.

"**_WHAT?_**" roared Trigon in disbelief. Indeed, to the demon lord's amazement as well as his followers, the X-Men, the Misfits, the Teen Titans, and Titans East emerged from the smoke and ashy plumes to realize to their own shock that they were still alive and functional. There wasn't even a scratch on their clothes, a scuffmark tarnishing their skin, and even Silkie and Lockheed were animate and safe and sound.

"How did they do that?" Monet half-spoke and half-shrieked in cheated bewilderment, "There's no way that the X-Men and the Misfits have our protection against Trigon!"

"What the hell?" gasped Aqualad.

"We…we're not frozen!" Menos exclaimed in Spanish, running his hands up and down his body, as if he wanted to just make sure that what he was observing was true and not an illusion of his mind. Jean then gave out a choked sob as she pointed to some familiar forms now frozen in stone.

"We're not…but the others are!" Jean cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"_No!_" Todd cried in shock, his eyes stinging, as he, the Teen Titans, the Misfits, the Titans East, and the X-Men looked to see Razor, Storm, Low Light, Roadblock, Xavier, Shipwreck, Cover Girl, Spirit, Beast, Blind Master and Wolverine all petrified, nothing more than lifeless statues of black and gray ashy rock, now forever left as stone monuments as testaments of the demise of Earth. Their limbs cracked with age, their faces frozen in expressions of shock and horror, their mouths agape in silent screams.

All the adults had been changed to rock; only the teenagers, their wards, their students, their sons and daughters were spared from a similar fate.

"It can't be!" cried Wavedancer, her body rigid from the sight.

"Flesh will become stone…" Remy said in a shaking voice, realizing the part of the prophecy that was coming true. Trinity, Justin, Kurt, Jamie, and Kitty then started to cry at once upon the sight.

"No! Dad!" Rina shouted before she broke down, sobbing. No, she couldn't lose him, not Logan, not the only parent who ever cared for and loved her, who made her feel like a normal teenager.

"This can't be happening! It just can't!" Fred bellowed in torment, his face ashen and his heart plummeting, and Lina was weeping uncontrollably as she miserably shook her head.

"It is! **_It is!_** We're too late! Mom, our parents, the adults…they're all gone!"

Scott angrily whirled his head at Slade and the Hellions.

"Well, at least it wasn't a complete loss," Roulette smirked, one hand on her hip while her other hand summoning a black ball of hex-energy, "Without their so-called loving parents and teachers, the X-Men and the Titans are as good as dead anyway…"

"Damn you!" Scott hissed as wrathfully as he could despite the hot ball growing in his throat and chest, whirling to face Slade and the Hellions and Trigon in rage. If looks could kill, Scott's glare of pure hate and vengeance would have easily disemboweled the enemy, quartered them into minute pieces and fed their remains to a pool of ravenous sharks. Scott was beside himself, lost in the need to kill, to avenge. Seeing the Professor, a man who was the only father-figure he ever had, was enough to make Scott lose it completely. Ripping off his visor, Scott let out the most powerful blast he ever could summon from his eyes as he let loose entirely at Trigon and his army.

"Scott, stop! Don't!" screamed Jean, cupping her hands to her mouth and hoping that Scott could hear her words and break out of his bloodlust.

Forge gasped, bellowing, "Scott, are you nuts? You'll kill them! You'll kill all of them!"

Starfire then murmured in growing realization, "I think this is what Friend Cyclops truly desires!"

Yet the optic blast had no effect as Trigon waved it off with a mere brush of his clawed hands.

"**_Insignificant insects!_**" Trigon bellowed to the heavens, and with another wave of his hands, all of the teenage mutants and heroes were sent flying, only to come crashing down onto a small plot of land.

"I think we're going to need a new plan, comrades," hissed Piotr in pain as he helped Kitty and Amara get up from their sprawled positions on the ground.

Trigon continued as his eyes began to glow, ready to obliterate the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Titans where they stood, declaring stoutly, "**_You may have a final blessing from my daughter, but you puny humans will never stop me from claiming this world as my own!_**"

"It shall never be yours, demon lord!" roared a bass voice as a figure pounced from the surrounding rooftops, sword drawn and ready while hurtling himself directly at Raven's father. Avalanche gasped as he recognized the figure first.

"Leomon!" he cried out as the X-Men, the Misfits, the Teen Titans, and Titans East could only watch helplessly as the lion warrior then let loose his greatest attack he could muster, streams of yellow-colored light and energy building in his right fist by the millisecond, crackling into a dangerous and deadly rage of ki energy.

"**_GAIA…!"_** hollered Leomon, pumping his fist in the air, and instantly, the heroes and the enemies below could see the red and smoky sky broken by the miniature sun Leomon was harnessing in his paw as all around, they could hear the unmistakable sound of a lion roaring.

"**_FIST OF THE BEAST KING!_**"

"_Mein Gott!_" gasped Kurt, "That attack! It's huge! It's even more powerful than the one that destroyed the Heartless creature at the bay that saved Lance and Spirit!"

Indeed, the roaring lion's head rushed out at Trigon, but Trigon then let out a furious blast of energy from all four of his eyes and immediately eliminated the Fist of the Beast King right before it came directly at Leomon. Leomon gasped as he raised his sword in front of him, trying to block it. With a huge explosion, it was apparent that the sword was barely enough as Leomon fell from the sky, unconscious and injured, before plummeting down and crashing to the ground nearby.

"Leomon!" yelled Lance as he and the other teenage heroes then rushed to the fallen digital warrior. Piotr bit back a crude comment as he saw Lance place himself next to the unconscious lion's side and manage to heft his paw a bit, checking for a pulse; yet it wasn't lost on any of the X-Men how apparently worried and concerned Lance was for the lion's well-being. Avalanche exhaled a bit as he felt the strong life beat.

"I found a pulse! He's fine!" he declared.

"But none of you will be," Slade said coldly as he and the Hellions and the Heartless were about to attack. Robin drew out several Birdarangs from his utility belt, realizing that they were all cornered with no way out and that the only logical thing to provide a good defense was an excellent offense.

"Don't let 'em get close!" the masked teen vigilante commanded steely to the other Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men before he turned to Cyborg specifically, saying meaningfully, "Ready for the duo 'Sonic Boom', Cy?"

The African-American half-robot grinned devilishly, readying his sonic cannon with a final _click_, saying, "Let's kick some Heartless ass!"

Without a second of hesitation, Cyborg and Robin roared as Robin flung all five of his Birdarangs, specially equipped from hours and hours in the Titans' lab to explode and release miniature explosions from the quarter-gram of Semtex explosives set inside the Birdarangs. Cyborg shot out his sonic cannon, and with a furious discharge, a good quarter of the Heartless army screamed as they perished in the sonic attack, rendered into nothing but bits of splattered goop.

Meanwhile, the other Misfits and X-Men were trying to contemplate their options for safety…

"We gotta get outta here, yo!" Toad shouted urgently as he shook Kurt's shoulder to snap him out of it, "We can't stay here! We gotta leave while the getting's good, yo!"

"Uh, Toad? We have a big problem with that one," Daria interrupted, her face white and clammy with fear, "The Mass Device is broken! It's kaput, gone! We tried sending diagnostic signals from our wrist-communicators back at the Pit and Misfit Manor, but we're not getting anything! We can't teleport out! The Mass Device is broken! So we're stuck!"

Pietro was now absolutely driven into his typical panic mode, running back and forth like a headless chicken along with the fellow speedsters, Mas y Menos, screaming as he waved his arms wildly, "Oh God, it's hopeless! There's no way out! We're stranded, finished, dead-ducks! **Oh my God!** **WE'REGONNADIEWE'REGONNADIEWE'REGONNADIEWE'REGONNADIE…!**"

"If we do, I pray ta' God that you go first," hissed Rogue with clenched teeth, resisting the urge to slap Quicksilver to simply shut him up. The X-Girl pretty much already arrived to the conclusion that the _last_ thing she certainly wanted to hear was the albino's prissy fit.

"Justin, can't you orb us out?" Ray begged, grasping at straws, but the Misfit shook his head in dread, whimpering.

"No, I can't! I can't orb this many people at once! I'm not strong enough to do it!" Justin gasped.

"And even if you did, we don't have anywhere safe we can go!" Speedy snapped impatiently as he fired another smoke arrow at several Heartless, blinding them as they were engulfed by thick, choky charcoal and allowing Mas y Menos to drag Xi out of danger. The archer then knew that if he was going to die, at least he would die fighting. And the same sentiment was shared between the rest of Titans East, the Teen Titans, and the mutants.

"We'll have to risk it and try taking as much people as we can! Either that or we fight our way through and flee the city!" Althea decided, but Lance cut her off.

"No, we're not leaving Leomon!" Lance heatedly protested, "I owe him one! We're not leaving him behind!"

"I don't think we'll be able to leave anyway!" gulped Beast Boy as their enemies closed in for the kill, "We're completely cut off!"

"Oh boy, this can't be good!" Ray cried out, cringing.

"Hellions, kill them all," Slade commanded.

Yet to Trigon and the Hellions' collective surprise, dark auras swirled around Leomon, the mutants and the Titans before encasing them protectively into a shield of shadows, exactly as if Raven had used her powers on them, and to Slade's outrage, the dim forces of magic took into the shape of a crying raven bird with its wings outstretched.

"What the hell?" the sandy-haired Beef exclaimed in shock. Bevatron and Tarot then both used their respective electricity attacks and a Fire Card attack, but the instant the mutants' energy assaults struck the black aura, it was deflected with an incredible and furious backlash of dark aura. With a bone-chilling howl, the raven tossed its head back and spread its wings before it disappeared in a swirl of energy…and taking the Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men with it.

With a blinding flash, all were gone, and the only thing that was left for Slade and the Hellions to descend upon was an empty plot of barren rock.

"They escaped! Damn it, Ms. Frost and the Hellfire Club won't be happy to learn that we didn't stop them!" Jetstream cursed, his hands clenched into fists and his teeth grit, but the fair-skinned Empath smiled cunningly as he shook his head, chuckling.

"Considering we managed to doom the entire Earth and that the X-Men and the Misfits are without their loser guardians and parents, it'll be easy pickings when they finally come back to try to stop Trigon and Slade," Manuel remarked, and the red-haired Tarot turned to Empath in skeptical astonishment at that statement.

"And what makes you so sure that they'll come back to stop us?" she asked in a hard tone, disappointed from achieving her mission for the Hellfire Club's glory, but Slade then answered, indicating that he was on the same mindset as Empath.

"They are the typical foolish heroes, my dear Marie," Slade intoned, "I would be severely disappointed if I do not see the Titans and their pitiful troupe of mutants attempt a final united frontal assault with a secret side-plan to help send Trigon back to his world and save the Earth. Keep in mind, Hellions, that all heroes act so sickeningly noble and predictable…"

"And what if they succeed?" Monet pointed out harshly, "The Hellfire Club and the Organization won't appreciate any possible chances of setback with Trigon and the Heartless."

Slade fiercely turned his eye to the raven-haired telepath, and Monet flinched a bit. Despite having an emotionless black and copper mask, Slade still managed to be quite daunting to the teenage protégés of the White Queen. Slade regarded the adolescent in front of him before he coldly intoned, "I would advise you Hellions to remember your place with me and my Master. And as for any possibilities of setback, the Hellfire Club had adequately prepared itself for such surprises the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Titans have up their sleeves."

"So you pretty much have everything covered, huh, Slade?" Roulette said a bit flippantly.

"Of course," Slade purred, and one could imagine a cat-like, calculating and shrewd smile behind the mask, "After all, I simply hate to lose…"

Meanwhile, at a pile of rubble, still smoking from its apparent destruction, the shadowy soul-self of Raven emerged out of thin air, giving off a shrill cry before the telekinetic soul-powers of darkness disappeared and with a flash of white light, the Teen Titans, Titans East, the X-Men the Misfits, and Leomon found themselves standing in the center of a barren yet desecrated plot of land. Gratefully, it was far enough from Jump City that the Hellions and the Heartless couldn't track them down.

"Whoa, like what a rush!" Kitty said in a dazed voice as she shakily tried to get her bearings, barely catching herself from toppling over. She was so dizzy as well as some of the other members of the group. Lance turned his attention to Leomon; the digital warrior was still unconscious and groggy, but he was alive and breathing and already starting to stir from being teleported. Lance exhaled wearily, but with some relief. Wanda noticed.

"You really care about Leomon, don't you?" Wanda asked softly, and unlike some of the X-Men, she had no scorn or disdain in her voice when she asked that question. Scarlet Witch understood why Lance was so worried about their enigmatic lion, but it was still a new sight for her. The only other person Lance had ever shown this much empathy and emotion besides Spirit was Kitty. Lance looked at her solemnly.

"Even if he's not on our side, I still owe him one. Spirit…" Lance choked, his grief threatening to break through before he forced himself to continue, "…Spirit would have wanted that."

"So, where are we?" Tabitha asked Robin as Sam leaned on her heavily as a lean-to from the injured leg he got when Monet attacked him.

"Yeah, why were we brought here?" Multiple asked, "I don't recognize this as the Titans Tower, and now that I think about it, **how** did we even get here?"

Jean then answered to her teammate, "It was Raven who helped us, this I'm sure of. I could sense the power and it's familiar to her signature. She must have sent her powers to protect us, to prevent us from being turned into stone like…like the adults…before she brought us here out of Scath's reach before he could kill us."

"So we're safe for now? Does that mean that at least here, wherever Raven sent us, we have a chance to catch a breather?" Roberto asked as he helped Ray sit down.

"We think so," Aqualad murmured, "But if Raven's power sent us here, then…does that mean she's safe?"

"Either way, Scath is still here on Earth," Speedy answered, "And from the looks of it, he did a number on the entire planet! I mean, look all around us! This is exactly like the vision we saw when Rogue absorbed some of Raven's memories! Now that Scath is here, the whole planet's dead!"

"You're right," gasped Amara, "That means no matter where we run…the Institute, the Pit, the Watchtower, even the Titans Tower, it'll be the same as everything else! Anything that wasn't destroyed and sent to rubble just has people transformed into stone from Scath coming into our world!"

"But…but why are we here, dudes?" Beast Boy asked, looking around, "This place isn't any different from Jump City, so why'd Raven send us here?"

Mas y Menos then spotted something horrifying next to them, and Menos, sick to his stomach, got the attentions of his friends.

"Uh…actually, I think this isn't the same as Jump City, Beast Boy," Menos shakily murmured in Spanish as he pointed with a finger, and turning around, the mutants and the Titans instantly felt sick. Menos was pointing at a section of the rubble that was strewn with several dead bodies, all of them children and teenagers no older that the X-Men and the Misfits. Unlike the grown-ups, these cadavers had not been turned to stone by the fate of Trigon's prophecy. The heroes did not recognize them, but it was gruesomely vile and revolting nonetheless, with the children staring at empty glazed expressions, the faces frozen in death, white and cold. Some were horribly hacked and ripped apart, as if set upon by animals with sharp claws, while others just began to rot in puddles of their own blood, their organs forcibly torn out of their torsos. One girl in a strange silver and blue uniform had half of her entire face clawed off, and through the gaping hole on her face, the Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men could see her skull and dangling eyeball hanging from her empty socket.

"_Mein Gott!_" Kurt cried before he made the cross with two fingers in the air, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…"

"This is barbaric!" Quinn exclaimed, "They're just kids! Like us!"

Justin then completely lost it as he fell to his knees and vomited on cue, sobbing. Pietro, though he understood Whitelighter's aversion, managed to sneer with a façade of disdainful ridicule.

"You really need to start acting like a soldier, chubby-cheeks," Pietro scoffed.

"Pietro, shut up!" Rogue, Wanda, Starfire and Lance snapped at the albino Misfit.

Cyborg then spotted a foreign object in the middle of the charred rocks and twisted I-beams of steel before his breath caught on his throat.

"Oh my God…" Cyborg murmured, his face pale and looking as if he was going to be sick.

"Cyborg, what's wrong?" Forge asked, but Cyborg just then picked up a yellow, metal disk off the ground before showing it to all the heroes, giving them a good look at the familiar yellow and black emblem of a hexagon with the letter "H" in the middle of it.

"Oh no…" groaned Robin, his eyes wide beneath his mask.

Yet Karen then spoke what she, Robin, and Cyborg just realized, her stomach churning in tight knots as she cleared it up for the rest of her friends and allies.

"It's H.I.V.E. Academy…" Bumblebee said in a shaking voice, "We're in what's left of H.I.V.E. Academy. It's…it's been completely demolished."

**Author's Notes: Check back next Friday for the chapter, "Loss" in which we finally learn the extent of Trigon's power as the Teen Titans, the Titans East, the Misfits, and the X-Men finally learn from Leomon the real truth about Raven and Trigon as Leomon reveals a shocking secret about the reason why he is on Earth (though I suppose some of you readers have already been able to guess it). And to make matters worse, the teenagers then finally learn from the survivors of H.I.V.E. Academy the horrific truth of where the Heartless came from as well as the consequences of the alliance with the Hellfire Club. With Trigon now on Earth, it is apparent that the Misfits, the Titans, and the X-Men must team up to stop the Hellfire Club and save Raven, but is there any hope, especially since they are alone and without the grown-ups? Find out next time, and until then, read and review! Constructive criticism welcome!**


	8. Loss

**CHAPTER 8: Loss**

"This used to be H.I.V.E. Academy?" Mas y Menos murmured in Spanish, truly shocked to their core. X23 then reacted as briskly as she could, her training and ability to calculate the best course of action in any emergency, as hammered into her by Hydra and encouraged by Wolverine for survival tactics.

"We need to fan out. Search any survivors," Rina said in a strong voice before she turned to Jean, "Do you sense anything with your telepathy, Jean? I can detect numerous scents, both human and non-human, but I cannot tell whether or not that they are from any survivors or from the dead cadavers."

The red-haired telekinetic was already closing her eyes in concentration, her fingers to her temples, before her eyes flew open as she sensed much anxiety, fear, and emotions of wailing grief from multiple consciousnesses not too far away with her mind.

"Wait, I do! There are people still alive here! There are some people who managed to survive the destruction caused by Scath!" Jean exclaimed, drawing a few looks of surprise and hope in some, especially since it gave them a little comfort to know that they were not completely alone during the end of the world. But before the X-Men, the Misfits, the Teen Titans, and Titans East along with Silkie and Lockheed could move, a voice rang out threateningly.

"OK, whoever you are, back off! _Leave us alone!_" cried a familiar girl's voice with a twinge of apprehensive weariness, and the teenagers turned around to see an odd sight.

"Jinx? Gizmo?" Bumblebee and Cyborg chorused in unison, surprised and upon closer scrutiny, slightly bothered. There stood the two aforementioned H.I.V.E. students, the witch, Jinx, and the dwarf-boy inventor, Gizmo, both of them haggard and certainly a lot worse for wear. Their uniforms and clothing were torn and ragged, showing the numerous lacerations and bruises on their bodies where the sagging fabric failed to conceal. Jinx had a huge smear of dried blood on her left side of her face while Gizmo was sporting a swollen lip and dirt marks on his countenance. It was clear that the two teenagers had been through a difficult and grueling struggle, and the fear and caginess in their eyes along with the signs of battle shock was taxing their strength. Still, despite that, both Jinx and Gizmo seemed ready to attack and, if necessary, die fighting.

Yet then Jinx lowered her hands, the pink hex energy crackling around her fingers before disappearing from view as she gasped in amazement upon recognition of the teenagers and adolescents in front of her.

"Cyborg? The Titans and the X-Men?" she wheezed with a mixture of confusion and relief.

Pietro shot Jinx an annoyed look as he added rather waspishly, "**_And_** the Misfits, in case you've forgotten…"

"Trust us, everyone who meets you idiots would rather forget you," Rogue hissed to the albino out of the corner of her mouth with gritted teeth, but no one paid the snipe much attention as Jinx then rushed towards the heroes, her expression beseeching while Gizmo stayed back, sullen and disapproving (though he did retract the mechanical weapons connected to his body). It was clear Gizmo wasn't pleased to see his nemesis again.

"How did you guys survive the end of the world?" Jinx exclaimed, her questions frantic and rushed as a million thoughts went through her jumbled head, "Did you come to help us? Did you know? Oh God, please tell me that more help is coming! _We can't hold on much longer!_"

"Whoa, whoa, Jinx, calm down…" Robin soothed the girl, placing a firm hand on her quaking shoulder, "We just got here, though we really have no idea why other than Raven helped us out, and we have no idea what's going on and what happened here. Are you all right? What exactly caused H.I.V.E. to end up like this?"

Jinx let out a sob as she held a hand to her chest weakly and explained with choking misery and heartache, "The academy was destroyed because the Heartless attacked us! The Heartless attacked and killed a lot of the students and teachers, and there's only a small portion of us left! Please, you have to help us! There's not a lot of time to explain! A lot of kids and adults are severely injured, and we've exhausted whatever supplies we were able to salvage through the rubble of the school! A lot of students are dying! **Please, can you help us?** We don't know what else to do, and the whole world's dead! We haven't been able to do anything else except trying to survive!"

"Remy don't like this," whispered Gambit to Scott and Piotr, "She could be leading us into a trap, and let's not forget that those H.I.V.E. kids are working with the hellions and Slade, so how can we know that we can trust the word of this _femme_? After one close call with Scath and the Heartless, Remy not so sure if we can trust her."

But Jean quietly interrupted the conversation by telepathically contacting to Scott through her mental link, _No, she's not lying, Scott. Something's wrong, and I can feel the urgency and dire need of it in her mind. I think something truly awful happened and she does need our help…_

"Jinx, lead the way then. We'll do whatever we can," Scott said in a strong voice, and Gizmo and Jinx, throwing caution to the winds and not caring that they were in the presence of their enemies and opponents, led the group of teenagers over the small mounds of crushed cement and destroyed steel, with Rogue and Jean using their respective super-strength and telekinesis to bring along the unconscious Leomon (thanks to Lance's request to keep him nearby). Soon, however, it became apparent that Jinx was not fib. As they crossed the last hill of debris and wreckage, a truly horrifying and revolting spectacle met their eyes.

"_Mein Gott!_" Kurt gasped weakly.

"How awful!" Kitty whimpered as she placed a hand over her mouth to prevent the bile from rising up her throat.

Indeed, it rightfully appalling. All of them were witnessing a cleared field full of injured and dead people, the smoky air filled with the sounds of wailing, groaning, and the dying. The injured H.I.V.E. students and faculty were lying on their backs on makeshift cots made from dirty sheets, gathered piles of sand, and even the rags and clothing of the dead that were gracefully covered with more bloodstained sheets, obstructing their disemboweled corpses and hacked, gory forms. Still, not all the deceased could be hidden from sight, and all of the heroes were greatly saddened and sickened to see the bloody and grisly remains of the people of the H.I.V.E. Academy. The lucky students, who had somehow managed to escape the brunt of the attacks and were relatively well-off enough, were tending to the wounded and afflicted as best as they could, hobbling or scurrying around with warm makeshift blankets, bandaging each other, and finding whatever remnants of food and water they could scour from the ruins of their home and institute. The Headmistress was sitting rather dejectedly and torpidly on a jutting crop of rock and brick as a makeshift stool, strands of hair raveling out of her gray bun, her eyes glazed with shock and sorrow, her clothes torn and covered with bloodstains. It was apparent that the pressure of the situation had gotten to her and crumbled what there was of her normally steel resolve and proper demeanor. She simply looked…lost. At first, Scott, Althea and Robin wondered why there were no other teachers around helping the students tend to the injured, but then they realized, as they passed by the numerous bodies and carcasses that all the faculty and instructors were either dead or horrifically mutilated. In fact, a significantly large percentage of the stiffs were grown-ups. From what could be reasonably deduced, the H.I.V.E. mentors and coaches, both men and women alike, must have opted to sacrifice themselves to save their protégées and pupils, choosing to have themselves die rather than the kids.

Not that being alive and surviving was a much better option.

Upon spotting the Teen Titans and Titans East, everyone mostly stopped and stared with confusion and suspicion at the heroes and mutants, not that they could really do anything. They were in no condition to complain, and to be honest, the sight of infamous heroes and noble warriors was a bit heartening. Althea then turned to Dragonfly and Whitelighter.

"Can you two help them out? Tend to the wounded as best as you can. We'll assist you if necessary, but we can't wait to aid the students out until we're finished briefing and figuring out what the heck happened here. I got a bad feeling this has something to do with Scath and the Heartless, something deeper than we're being let on…" Althea ordered gently. Yet Wavedancer was interrupted by a grieving cry from Mammoth in the sidelines.

"Please, anyone, any of you, help me! **Help Selinda!** **_Please, she's hurt real bad!_**" Mammoth hollered, his voice now jaded and reduced to begging. Pietro, Justin, Jean, Lina, Rina and Rogue immediately rushed over to the call while the other Titans and mutants turned to the shout for help. There in the distance, kneeling on the rough ground, was the ape-like Mammoth, his eyes pained and filled with tears that were dripping off his scarred and bleeding face, his goatee hardened with dried blood, truly shattered and defeated. And to the audience's collective horror, in Mammoth's arms was a skinny, slender girl, her entire body covered with blood as crimson as her red-hair, sobbing pitifully and grimacing with excruciating agony. But it was what was growing out of the center of the girl's stomach that drew the most revulsion. There, in the middle of her torn and eviscerated belly was a black, deformed Heartless creature, its yellow eyes wildly glancing around in all directions, making curdling cooing noises with no mouth as several slim and fragile-looking tentacles were weakly flailing out, protruding out of Shimmer's midsection. And to further cement the fact that it was a Heartless, Jean and Rina could see the emblem of the red-and-black crossed out heart in the center of the gelatinous living blob.

"Oh my God! A Heartless! And it's _inside_ her!" Lina gasped. Justin looked like he was going to throw up again, but Pietro snapped angrily before Justin could even begin to feel sick.

"Now is **not** the time, chubby-cheeks!" Quicksilver snapped. Meanwhile, Selinda was begging for relief.

"Baran, it hurts…" she sobbed weakly while trying to move and somehow shift her body position so that she could somehow lessen the pain of a Heartless trying to tear its way out of her stomach. Mammoth turned to the six heroes in front of him helplessly.

"Please…help her. I did everything I could, but I don't know what else to do. I don't know anything about health stuff, and if I tried something, it might hurt her even worse!" The H.I.V.E. strong-man beseeched pleadingly. Yet Dragonfly shook her head.

"I…I'm not sure if we can," she confessed, "I don't have the necessary tools I need to surgically remove it, not to mention I'm not sure exactly how to deal with a Heartless…"

"And it's a Heartless, so I can't use my telepathy to force it to leave her body!" Jean confessed powerlessly, shaking her head.

"Let me try," Justin said, whimpering, but unwilling to just stand by and watch, "Maybe I can heal her with my powers…"

Unfortunately, as Whitelighter laid his glowing hands upon Selinda's stomach, the beastly abomination inside her gave out a gurgled howl before the insignia of the Heartless began to glow. With a roar of energy, Justin yelped as crackling streams of hot aura, like lightning, singed his hands and fingers before he could even get close, and gasping, Justin pulled back, breathing heavily to calm his surprised heart. The rest of the group was stunned, and the Misfit then realized that he couldn't even touch Shimmer.

"What the - ?" gasped Justin, "It…it threw me back! It won't let me heal her! I can't heal your friend!"

"WHAT?" Mammoth shouted in horror. Quicksilver then turned to a shocked Dragonfly.

"Lina, what about you?" he exclaimed wildly, desperate at grasping the proverbial straws, "Your healing silk and all that medical training that Lifeline taught you! Can't you patch it up or something? Or can't that silk of yours plug up the hole in her stomach and stop the bleeding! Can't any of those help Selinda out and stop that Heartless for a while?"

But it was Leomon who spoke then, surprising everyone all around as they turned to look at the lion swordsman who was shakily propping himself up from his sprawled position into a hunched squat with one paw. Apparently, the lion had managed to just regain consciousness, though he was severely weakened from the intensity of Trigon's eyes beams.

"You won't be able to help your friend. She has partially bonded with a Heartless, a creature of darkness and evil, and like any parasite, it will feed off her until they both die. There is no saving her," he said in a rather detached tone of voice.

"No…" Mammoth whispered, shaking. Rina was still stubbornly persistent.

"What if I tried just killing the Heartless directly?" X23 asked, showing her claws at the lion, "That way, it won't feed off Selinda and she'll be spared from the parasitic relationship. Or I could try extracting the Heartless out of her with force…"

Leomon cut through the reasoning coldly, "No, the Heartless is not like most natural parasites and creatures, kid. It is a creature born of forces that are not of any world. And the Heartless is now leeching off directly from the girl's soul and heart, and killing the Heartless will kill her as well. And it's not something you can remove, either with force or magic for it has been attempted before. The girl's heart is now under the clutches of the creature that feeds off her. Because the transformation is half-complete, the girl will die from the process of the Heartless living inside her and from the depletion of her body, and when she dies, the Heartless shall die with her. You can't save the girl. Both she and the Heartless will perish because they can't coexist like this."

"Oh God…" Mammoth sobbed pitifully, now weeping anew as he hugged Shimmer closer to his chest, wishing that he was the one who was dying. Beast Boy noticed this is the distance.

"Dude, what's up with Mammoth? Why's he so uptight over that girl? She's his girlfriend or something?" Jinx did her best to wither the green-skinned changeling with a look.

"Selinda is Mammoth's sister," she hissed coldly. Beast Boy's (and a few other Titans' as well) eyes went wide before he felt ashamed. Certainly, it was one thing to view Mammoth as a bully and villain from H.I.V.E. who deserved whatever butt-kicking the Titans could dish out at them whenever he and the other classmates emerged to wreck havoc. It was an entirely different thing to see Mammoth as a person who has family and loved ones. Beast Boy scratched his head awkwardly.

"Sorry, that didn't come out right…" Beast Boy muttered, incredibly embarrassed.

"What happened?" Bobby asked dumbly in the meantime to Gizmo as most of the X-Men and Misfits followed Lina and Justin to help out however they could.

"What does it look like what happened?" Gizmo snapped, "We told you, the Heartless attacked our school! **They completely destroyed it!** We were screwed over big time!"

"_Lo siento…_" Mas murmured, saying the Spanish equivalent of "I'm sorry", but if anything, that statement of merciful understanding just made the H.I.V.E. adolescent livid.

"Like you whimpering, brown-nosed goody-goodies even care!" Gizmo snarled hatefully, "Admit it! You're enjoying this! We're your enemies, the baddies, and you're the heroes, the noble icons of society! You don't care about us, about the fact that H.I.V.E.'s been wiped out! You're just as phony as those Hellions! Just admit it and get it over with! Inside, you're celebrating at the fact that we've fallen flat on our faces and can't get up!"

Gizmo was glaring at the group of teenage heroes, trying his best not to cry, but everyone could see the hot tears dribbling out, and Starfire looked pained as she then strode over delicately and knelt down so that she was eye level with Gizmo. The H.I.V.E. student then was slightly taken aback to see that the Titan's own green eyes were brimming with tears as well, as if she truly felt for the fellow villains.

"No, it is not as you say…Friend Gizmo," Starfire whispered gently, and the members of the Teen Titans and Titans East lit their eyes up in surprise. The Tamaranean never referred to anyone as a friend unless she had some sort of compassion for them, and despite the bleakness of this situation, it was hard to picture having anything of the sort for a rival and/or enemy. Starfire continued her sincerity.

"No, it is not as you say. We do not take glad or happiness at the misfortune and death of others, even of our enemies. And even if you are our enemies and are against us, we still do not wish this sort of tragedy on yourself and your classing friends. You are kids and living beings first, and opponents second…and no living being deserves to be hurt and betrayed like this. I am truly sorry that you and H.I.V.E. have suffered through this destruction that is full of pain and death. We do not wish anything of that sort on anyone, including you. No one deserves that."

"Oh spare me the sappiness, you naïve twit!" Gizmo croaked hoarsely as he rubbed his eyes with his dirty sleeve of his uniform, "Even if you are sorry, it's only because we got killed and taken by surprise! We don't need your pity! Cause pity's not going to fix this, to bring our friends back!"

"But why did the Heartless come here? Why did they attack you? I mean, you H.I.V.E. guys are buddies with Slade and the Hellions, so the Heartless would also be on your side too…wouldn't they?" Speedy asked, still lost. Something didn't make sense about this. But then the Headmistress of H.I.V.E. then gave out a bitter laugh of pain, close to a sob, as she overheard this.

"Slade and the Hellions were never on our side to begin with. The Hellfire Club and the Heartless had no intention of protecting us, of sparing us during the Armageddon that I was warned about, of this we're now certain…"

The gray-haired educationalist and scholarly bureaucrat turned to the silent audience now staring at her expectantly. It was sort of like playing an odd, twisted form of the waiting game; if the adolescents were silent enough, they knew that their questions would be answered without need of any prodding. Even Gizmo and Jinx were silent, for they too wanted to know what the Headmistress meant.

The Hivemistress looked all around her, her haunted and mercurial gaze resting on Jinx, Mammoth, Selinda, Gizmo, the Titans, the Titans East, the X-Men and the Misfits before she then forced herself to voice everything.

"The Heartless attacked us from orders of the Hellfire Club and the Hellions themselves. Once the Hellfire Club felt it was ready to begin their plans with the Titan Raven, they managed to activate the biochemical catalysts they injected into my H.I.V.E. students during this past week or so. They did this so that they could form the army and forces Slade needed to subdue and kill the rest of you and G.I. Joe while Scath was brought into this world, so that there would be no one left to oppress and hinder them once the Armageddon arose. Thanks to the double-crossing of Lex Luthor, my precocious students were turned into monsters, and to ensure that they were up to the task of fighting against the X-Men, Misfits, and Titans, Luthor apparently thought they could have a practice run by using the fellow classmates and teachers who didn't transform as living targets. That was why we were so badly defeated; we had no idea what was happening until own students began to slaughter us and wipe out H.I.V.E. academy, obeying the Hellfire Club like mindless drones. And they didn't regret their decision to dispose of us and finish us off. Though we fought back, we were overwhelmed, and since they were pleased with the outcome, the Hellions decided to no longer waste any time with the H.I.V.E. test subjects and had Slade summon the students to join him as their own personal army to kill all of you in Jump City."

"Lex Luthor?" Robin gasped, blinking. Luthor? _In the Hellfire Club?_ One of Superman and Batman's worst enemies…

Tabitha was confused as she asked without thought, "Wait a minute! Slade's **_army_**? But…he didn't have any students with him except the Hellions, so…so the H.I.V.E. students weren't even there! The H.I.V.E kids weren't with him! In fact, the only other things we saw with Slade and the Hellions were the…"

Boom-Boom then trailed off, her face and mouth freezing with dread and shock when she just made the connection. So did her friends as they then all turned to Selinda who was slowly dying with the Heartless growing out of her stomach.

It was then that each member of the Teen Titans, Titans East, the X-Men and the Misfits felt absolutely sick to their stomachs, their souls as cold as ice when they heard that, when it clicked into place.

"Oh my God…" Amara gasped. Justin looked like he was ready to throw up again, and Jamie, Mas y Menos looked like they wanted to join him.

"Then…that means...that means all those Heartless, the ones we fought and killed at Jump City…" Xi said, quivering, before the thought became so revolting, he trailed off, unable to finish. But the Headmistress of H.I.V.E. did it for the lizard-Misfit.

The Headmistress sobbed, choking, "Those Heartless you just killed and fought…used to be children of H.I.V.E. Academy that had been mutated by the experimentation from the Hellfire Club."

"_No_…" murmured Mas, his face white and ashen.

"_Dios Mio!_" cried his brother Menos right before he fell to his knees, starting to weep.

"No, it cannot be possible! **They were just children!** They were merely children, students of innocence that did not deserve to be used in such a manner! How could they? How could the Hellfire Club do such barbaric things on children?" Starfire cried, nearly hysterical. This was undoubtedly one of the most disgusting things she could ever comprehend.

"Wait a minute! **_Experimentation?_** How…**why** did you let them do that to you guys?" Forge asked, frowning and astonished that the H.I.V.E students would just up and let the Hellfire Club do that to them willingly. Mammoth answered miserably with cheated despair.

"We didn't know what the Hellfire Club was doing for us," the ape-like mutate answered, his voice hoarse, sniffing, "All we knew was that when the Hellions shown up at our school and appeared to be a lot more skilled and powerful than any of the H.I.V.E. students, even the top of the classes, and the Hellions said that the medical supplements the Hellfire Club would give us would help us grow stronger, enhance our powers and abilities to more than ten-fold like it did for them cause the Hellfire Club wanted to make sure that H.I.V.E. graduates would become worthy to join them when the time came. And we fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! **We were so stupid!** We thought the Hellions were looking out for us when they tried to 'improve' us to the Hellfire Club's and Slade's standards, and instead, they were just blowing smoke from their butts!"

"They tricked you," breathed Kitty in outrage, "They like tricked you so that they could just like use you guys as throwaway Heartless! They made you promises that you could become totally renowned and like famous villains of great power if you did what they said! They made it sound like they were totally concerned with your benefit and progress as future members of the Hellions and the Hellfire Club when all they were doing was like changing you into monsters!"

"Wait, then why aren't you guys transformed? And for that matter, how come you and the rest of the survivors managed to survive the explosion Scath created and turned the world into a fireball as well as turning everyone else to stone?" Piotr asked.

"Not all of us subjected ourselves to the check-ups and the medical practices, Metal-Mouth," Gizmo growled at Piotr, "We didn't trust 'em, those Hellion snot-bags, and so we ignored what they asked us to do and refused to join in the masses. Yet when we tried to tell the teachers and our classmates our suspicions, those boot-lickers just laughed and ignored us, saying that they didn't want to pay attention to the H.I.V.E. rejects, the disgraced students who were beaten by the dumb Titans over and over again! Not even Private HIVE and See-More listened to us!"

"No…" gasped Bumblebee, her hands unconsciously grasping her elbows tightly, but Mammoth clarified it for the shocked Karen in a haggard voice.

"See-More was one of the students who turned into a Heartless, and when Private HIVE, who was still human, tried to protect the other students, he…well…See-More killed him under the Hellions' orders. We just buried Private HIVE along with the others in the pile of dead bodies over there."

"And now that they're Heartless, they're pretty much stronger and unstoppable," Jinx wept, "Even with our combined efforts, we could barely keep them at bay because whatever the Hellions did to our friends, it made them stronger and more violent, almost like bloodthirsty animals!"

"My God," Scott murmured, "The Hellions…no, they couldn't be a part of this! I mean, yes, they're snobs and elitist, pompous, spoiled kids with views of superiority over mutants…but _this_? This is **too** barbaric even for them!"

Gizmo whirled on Cyclops angrily, snarling, "Shows what you know, you one-eyed, butt-sniffer! When the Heartless killed some of our classmates and destroyed our school, the Hellions were _laughing!_ Yeah, you heard right, you goody-goodies! They were standing in the background and laughing at the sight of seeing our classmates turn into those Heartless test-tube freaks and killing everyone by Emma Frost's orders!"

"Emma Frost? As in the White Queen of the Hellfire Club? She's involved in this too?" Pietro echoed in shock.

"It does kinda makes sense, though," Forge said, "If the Hellions have such a huge role in coercing H.I.V.E., it's only natural that she would be supervising the whole thing on the Hellfire Club's behalf…"

"And it would explain why Scath's power didn't affect H.I.V.E academy, yo!" Toad piped up in shock, "Because the Hellfire Club needed the H.I.V.E. students intact and alive for to create their army of Heartless. They were tryin' to protect their modified and personal soldiers, their investments, yo! That's why you guys haven't been turned to stone like the rest of the world!"

"Scath?" Mammoth echoed, befuddled.

"**Turned to stone?** What are you guys talking about?" Jin asked torpidly, blinking.

"You mean you don't know what's going on?" Tabitha asked incredulously, and Jinx shook her head, which prompted several of the Titans, the X-Men, and the Misfits to break it to them gently about Raven and her father. Only the Headmistress of H.I.V.E. seem unaffected by the news; it was evident that she knew already about Scath and Raven's link to the Armageddon.

"And Gizmo's got a point, Scott," Roberto then spoke as he turned to the leader and commander of the teenage X-Men, "Remember the weapon the Hellfire Club first developed when we found out the Brotherhood was living with G.I. Joe? That pulsar cannon that would increase sunspot radiation and kill off hundreds of thousands of humans as well as increase the mutation rates of the planet? Gizmo has a point, Scott. The Hellfire Club really **would** stoop to something like this, especially since they they've done a lot of other equally rotten stuff before." **(See Author's Notes)**

"And let's not forget that the Hellfire Club was suspected to be the ones that helped Kanto establish his ties in H.A.T.E. on Earth as well as providing Darkseid that M'Kraan crystal that had the Phoenix Force. Remember what Green Lantern told us?" Althea added as she just remembered the briefing the member of the Justice League gave them a week or two ago at the Institute.

"And when the Hellions tried to capture Howie, the sea serpent at that relaxation camp when we first ran into those Hellions. They were willing to kill Bazooka who was with me, all because they said he was a useless 'flat-liner' and that the death of one human wasn't going to be a huge loss. Scott, we can't deny it. The Hellions are able of doing something this nasty," Jamie then solemnly and dejectedly pointed out. Meanwhile, the heroes had just finished explaining the situation to the H.I.V.E. students who were eavesdropping, and Jinx was staring at the Headmistress with a mixture of nausea, wrath, and blame. **(See Author's Notes)**

"You…you lied to us," Jinx uttered in a shaking voice, her entire body twitching, "You hid this from us, covered it up and just stood by and let the Hellfire Club do all those tests and experiments on our friends and let Raven's father doom our entire world, all because you wanted to find the easy way out at our expense!"

The Headmistress then exploded, the stress of seeing her charges and her students whom she had so much hope and pride for dead in moments finally getting to her, as she coldly, sternly, and condescendingly screeched at Jinx, "Don't turn your nose up at me and say that I didn't even care when I made the deals with the Hellfire Club to save this academy, you ungrateful wretch! **_I did not know the students would be reduced into Heartless!_** **_I did not know that the Hellfire Club would betray us and throw us away after using us in this sadistic manner!_** You do not know anything, on how I didn't want to do this, on how I didn't want to force the H.I.V.E. legacy to be subjected under the will of Frost and Luthor! _You don't know anything!_ I tried to search for any possible alternative, a lone other option that could save H.I.V.E. from bankruptcy and debt and ensure that there would always be a future for villains and felons in this world always! I had no choice! I had to agree to sign H.I.V.E. Academy to the Hellfire Club because it was the only way I could make sure that you students would have a home and a future!"

"Some future, you tight-lipped, boot-licking shrew!" Gizmo shouted. But Aqualad, Robin, and Bumblebee turned to the Headmistress of H.I.V.E. Academy with a mixture of shock and surprised pity. This was a new one.

"Bankruptcy?" Robin echoed incredulously.

"So the suspicions from the Justice League were true? H.I.V.E. got funds from the stolen investments of H.A.T.E. via the Hellfire Club during the fiasco with Darkseid and the Phoenix Force?" Aqualad gasped, his violet eyes wide with disbelief, "But…but why did you accept them? I…we don't understand **why** you were corned into this position and why you felt that the Hellfire Club could offer you a way out. I mean, even you must have heard how ruthless the Hellfire Club can be and how they're only interested in themselves! They have supposedly dealt with Magneto and Apokolips for crying out loud! So why did you make the proverbial deal with the devil?"

The Headmistress then explained, ignoring the hateful glare of hurt Jinx was shooting at her, as she said, "Because H.I.V.E. was in danger of losing its status and importance as a breeding ground and training facility of future villains for the world, as a haven for gifted children who could very well rule the world with its legacy and influence. We used to receive funds from countless organizations and firms from around the world, powerful individuals who were interested in teaching their children to emerge as prevailing syndicates of crime or who were attracted to the thought of having formidable foot soldiers for their own personal army. We were given generous grants from such influential corporations such as Wolfram and Hart, Hydra, GRSO, the Church of Humanity, and yes, even Cobra, the terrorist organization that G.I. Joe has fought and defeated so many times before in the past. Yet, H.I.V.E then fell on hard times. Not only were the Teen Titans and Titans East able to emerge and stop us time and time again, but we also failed in our missions and exhibitions of our worth against other groups such as the Gargoyles of New York, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and even mere humans called the Ghostbusters. With so many catastrophes and routs from them, it was logical that the money would cease to come in, and that no group wanted to gamble their wealth and holdings on the protection provided by a school of failures. And since we were a school of villains and wrongdoing, we cannot ask the government for help like other private educational centers."

"Dude, so that's why we've seen you H.I.V.E. students steal so much and commit grand larceny every time we attempted to stop you!" Beast Boy exclaimed in surprise, "It wasn't because you wanted to, but because you **had** to, to help fund your school!"

The aged woman nodded wearily as she then said, "And when the Hellfire Club offered to help save my school and the students' well-being under the condition that they train them and oversee their education and development, I was wary if not loathing to do so, but I had no choice. The Hellfire Club is a powerful association with world-wide ties to the most influential businesses and influential people in the world, and it would open new doors of opportunity to the students and give them a secure future, a secure path. We would not be able to survive much longer if I refused…so I signed control of H.I.V.E. Academy and let both Luthor and Frost direct the conservatory as they saw fit. We had nothing to lose…or so I had thought."

The defeated matriarch then broke and started to weep softly, covering her face with her wrinkled and grimy hands, reminded of the mindless deaths of her cherished apprentices.

"Either way, we **still** didn't survive!" screamed Jinx with hurt, grief, and fury at her superior, "I wouldn't have cared if we were in trouble financially! I wouldn't have cared if we would have been disgraced and lost everything! I wouldn't have even cared about how we wouldn't become top-notch villains anymore! It doesn't mean anything to us anymore! I would give up everything, the money, the might, the supremacy …just to have everyone back, to have Selinda all right, to not have seen my classmates and school died and cut down by the Hellfire Club! Everyone's dead now! **_And all because you wanted to improve our standing as a school of mercenaries and criminals!_**"

At this, Jinx broke into a fresh round of sobbing, hysterical and inconsolable.

"Wait, but then why didn't the Hellions also get transformed into Heartless?" Jamie piped up, frowning at the hole in the turn of events, "I mean, I just recalled what Mammoth just said! If the Hellions were undergoing the same medical procedures and experiments that genetically altered the H.I.V.E. students into transforming into those Heartless creatures, then why didn't they get transformed too?"

Lina then murmured with rare anger, "Placebos…they must have used placebos to make it _look_ like they were going through the same experimentations the H.I.V.E. students were going through, to make it seem under the illusion that the students wouldn't be in any danger if they followed the Hellions' suggestions."

"I get it!" Amara exclaimed, "The Hellions led the H.I.V.E. students on! The kids and the teachers would have gotten suspicious and wouldn't trust the Hellions if they encouraged them to take supplements and medical enhancements that they themselves wouldn't take a part in! So they made the kids and students believe that they were being a part of the experimentation and put up some sort of front that they were stronger and much better off because of it! And since they weren't in any danger, the Hellions wouldn't get hurt while the students would follow them like sheep and take the brunt of the Heartless trials for them!"

Sam then realized out loud, "And like all impressionable kids, they would naturally want ta' be stronger and successful if they wanted to bring pride to the school and succeed as future villains! If all it took were some enhancements and seeing how H.I.V.E. was able ta' endure it with no side effects, then of course the majority of the kids would follow them!"

"So they tricked them," Bobby murmured in disgust, "They tricked the students into doing the experiments disguised as medical check-ups so that they could have plenty of test subjects for the Hellfire Club. And they wouldn't care how the experiments would cost them their lives."

"Like how Cobra did with us when they posed as substitute teachers at Bayville High!" snarled Fred, crackling his knuckles. That look of cheated rage and violation was mirrored in Lance and Pietro too; apparently, it was still a sore subject, and the event of H.I.V.E. being fooled in the exact same premise was a grim reminder of that unpleasant memory. **(See Author's Notes)**

"And it would also explain why only **some** of the kids turned into Heartless," Daria exclaimed, "Like all experiments, they needed a control group to make sure that the genetic modifications they were doing would actually produce the Heartless mutations! So some of the kids must have been given useless catalysts while the others were given the significant ones to transform them into Slade's mindless soldiers! And I have to admit, these catalysts must be a real kick! Not even the genetic experimentations Kanto did on those followers of H.A.T.E. produced something **_this_** powerful!"

"Those monsters!" snarled Toad, shaking with rage and his knuckles turning white around a piece of stone he was holding in his hands so tightly, the rock instantly crumbled into sand, "Those Hellions are damn well gonna pay for this, yo! Leading on children! Just standing by and letting them get killed off! Experimentation? God help them if I ever get my hands on 'em!"

"And I thought that the Hellfire Club would truly help us and spare us when the end of the world came," sobbed the Headmistress, "But I had no idea that it would involve this, that it would result in the deaths of the children I wanted to protect and bring up…"

"You got exactly what you deserved," growled a booming voice in the background, and everyone turned with shock and outrage and insulted indignation to see Leomon, still trying to recover from the beating Trigon gave him, sitting heavily on the floor, Indian-style, all the meanwhile giving the Hivemistress and the students of her academy a poisonous glare of anger, of abhorrence. The stern, elderly woman looked as if she was just slapped in the face, but Leomon gave no indication of retracting or softening his words as he repeated it more lucidly.

"You sold the souls of everyone to a group that made deals with the Organization and the Thirteenth Order all to raise the status, importance and power of your so-called school. You dealt with the powers of darkness and trifled with the forces of great evil, and yet you expected to not pay the price for it? You get no sympathy from me; you and the rest of your kids only received what was coming."

The X-Men, the Misfits, the Titans, and a lot of the H.I.V.E. students were shocked and infuriated with insult, to say the least.

"Hey! That's like not fair!" Kitty shouted, her hands on her hips.

"How can you be so cruel?" snapped Bumblebee instantly as well as several others, ignoring the din, "They're just kids, Leomon! And didn't you hear what Jinx and the other said? They had no idea what was going on! They're victims in this as well! You can't blame the students of H.I.V.E. for something the Hellfire Club plotted behind their backs! The students didn't even know about the Heartless or the Hellfire Club's involvement with them!"

"God, how much of a jerk could you possibly be?" Piotr snapped at the lion, "Makes me wonder why you were even brought here with us!"

"You're as heartless as a…well, as a Heartless!" Beast Boy shot back. Though it was a weak and corny metaphor, it was slightly (though humorously as well) insulting, and Leomon rumbled deeply at Beast Boy which was enough to make Garfield squeal in fright and dash off only to cower slightly behind the hulking Cyborg who was gritting his teeth in rage at the digital warrior's coldness.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Jean were trying to comfort Mammoth and ease his woe and sorrow when Selinda then unexpectedly and weakly held Rogue's hand. The X-Girl was astonished and amazed as the small and languishing girl then coughed weakly.

"You're…you're the X-Man called 'Rogue', aren't you? I…I remember seeing your picture and reading about you in your file H.I.V.E. has on the X-Men…"

Rogue wasn't sure how to respond to that, but she carefully brushed the matted hair out of Selinda's hair carefully and with compassion as she said softly, "Yeah, I am. Try not to move so much, OK, sugah? You'll be able to feel less pain if you don't exert yourself more than ya' need to…"

Selinda had a dribble of blood escape out of the corner of her mouth as she shook her head and squeezed Rogue's hand even tighter as she then said, convinced, "You and the Misfits and the Titans are going to try to stop Slade and the Hellions, aren't you?"

Rogue nodded, though the X-Men didn't really discuss it. Still, Shimmer had to be pretty sharp if she could deduce that so easily.

"Then…I want to help, help you and the others stop Slade and fix up this entire mess. Please, will you do me a favor? Please, Rogue?"

"But…Selinda, why are ya' askin' me? Can't you ask Wavedancer or Jean to help out? They're more powerful than I am…" Rogue tried to dissuade Selinda, but Shimmer shook her head, convinced and unwavering.

"No…Rogue, I think it can only be you. And…And I want to help you X-Men out…to help protect my brother…"

"Selinda, shut up…**please**…" Mammoth croaked hoarsely, stroking Shimmer's red curls gently, helplessly. But Shimmer was steadfast as she held Rogue's hand even more tightly.

"Promise me…" Selinda coughed weakly, rivers running out of her eyes. Rogue, white in the face, nodded dumbly.

Meanwhile, Robin, Kitty, Xi, Piotr, and Forge were conversing with each other as Robin was trying to use his Titans communicator to try to reach anyone through various frequencies and wavelengths. Unfortunately, no such luck; no matter what Robin tried to hack and prod, he only received static.

"Robin, is there anyone else who might have been able to get away from the Armageddon unscathed like H.I.V.E. Academy did?" Piotr asked, hanging on to some last shred of hope, "Surely someone must have managed to escape Scath's order and curse?"

Robin shook his head dejectedly as he explained, "I tried already. I used the communicator to see if I could make contact with anyone we know. I tried Atlantis, Dr. Fate's home, Metropolis, Gotham City, any major government communications unit in every developed country in the planet, the G.I. Joe Pit, the communicators of the Justice League themselves…nothing. We're the **only** ones who survived when Scath came into our world…"

"Wait, what about people who know magic? You know, like Dr. Strange and those Etrigan and Zatanna guys you mentioned before? Couldn't they like have seen this coming or at least totally prepare for it and have some sort of magical weapons and such to help like fight Scath?" Kitty asked, thinking that there might be a solution in that overlooked path, but Forge then shook his head.

"That can't be possible either, Kitty. The portal machines me and Trinity built to talk to Dr. Strange were destroyed when that Megazord robot we built exploded. And the only other person who could contact Dr. Strange and Benny was Amanda's mother, but something tells me she was also turned to stone since we can't get any readings from Bayville. I think we're really on our own for this one."

"Great, just great," griped Xi bad-naturedly and sarcastically.

Indeed, similar feelings of gloom and outrage were echoing throughout the entire wreckage of H.I.V.E. academy. Wavedancer herself felt nothing but ill-thoughts and anger at how thoughtlessly the Hellions sacrificed innocent children, but she knew also that they needed to focus on the task at hand of stopping Trigon and saving Raven, and by doing so, saving their parents and the world. Althea then noticed Trinity looking at the numerous carcasses with blank expressions.

"You three better not be getting any ideas from this," Althea shot at the Triplets sternly, and Daria, Quinn, and Brittany returned three cold, consecutive glares back at their older sibling.

Daria snapped, "Oh please, give us **_some_** credit, Sis! We're not exactly like Emma and Luthor, you know! Even we don't do experimentation this disgusting on people! This is enough to make even _us_ sick!"

Quinn then added, "Oh, but don't worry. If we live through this, we don't intend to let the Hellions and the Hellfire Club get away with screwing over the H.I.V.E. students like this. Emma and her friends are going to get some _very_ unpleasant surprises heading their way once we're free and clear of Trigon and help Raven."

The looks of vengeance on Daria, Quinn, and Brittany's faces were actually so daunting and scary that Althea, despite raising her sisters since they were in diapers, raised an eyebrow, slightly disturbed. The Delgado Triplets were rarely so serious and determined, especially since no one ever made it out of their hit list unscathed.

"Just don't hurt them. If we ever catch the Hellions and the Hellfire cronies, we need them alive and mentally stable for information about this entire Heartless thing and what we can do to stop whatever the hell they're planning," Wavedancer pointed out.

Brittany smiled a little too eagerly, "Oh we won't…at least, not permanently."

Sam and Roberto, who were nearby, also noticed Tabitha surveying the destruction and the massacre, her body as still as a statue.

"Tabby?" Sam asked. Boom-Boom then looked at Roberto and Sam and they could see her eyes were blazing, absolutely furious, her hand clenched tightly into a fist. Tabitha managed to keep herself level-headed by breathing heavily through her nose before she answered at last.

"I never liked those Hellion snobs before…" she growled, "But so help me, after this crap they pulled on H.I.V.E., they just hit a new low. And I intend on making them pay big time for that."

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual, Tabby," Ray agreed, his face dark, "There's no way in hell we're going to just let them go by for this! And if we die fighting Scath and those Heartless of Slade's, at least I'll take one or two of the Hellions with me!"

"X-Men don't kill, Ray…" Roberto said, placating, but Ray then whirled on his teammate, throwing a hand out to the numerous bodies of children and Mammoth and Selinda.

"Oh, open your eyes, Roberto!" Ray shouted, losing it, "Look at what the White Queen and Luthor and the Hellions did to them, did to the students and faculty of H.I.V.E! They helped plan the murder of _children_! Kids no older than Multiple and Mas and Menos! And for what? To help glorify the Hellfire Club and give themselves more power and unlimited might? To sell their souls to Scath! The Hellions are now officially no better than Magneto cause this is something he'd do, there's no question about it! Uh…no offense, Pietro and Wanda."

Wanda shook her head fervently as she said seriously, "No, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly with you on this, Ray. What the Hellions and the Hellfire Club did makes them as much of monsters as my father, and like Magneto, the Hellions need to pay for what they did here. This is something that we can't overlook, that we can't ignore and say it's simply a consequence of every day life. We can't simply say that shit happens and move on. It would be an insult to the H.I.V.E. students if we did that, to the classmates and friends that they lost to the Heartless…all because the Hellfire Club and their associates used them for their own gains."

Soon, after Justin and Lina managed to heal as much of the H.I.V.E. students and each other as best as they could, everyone, bar Jean and Rogue (who were still with Mammoth), and even Jinx and Gizmo regrouped to discuss their options during this crisis. Lance lingered a bit away from the group so he could stand next to Leomon who was still trying to convalesce from his wounds (Leomon had refused point-blank to allow Dragonfly or Whitelighter to tend to him), and Kitty and Beast Boy were both a bit bothered at how close Avalanche was making himself vulnerable to the lion swordsman.

"So what do we do now?" Menos asked in Spanish.

"I guess we have no choice but to fight," Scott said. Cyborg gave the X-Man a baleful look as he pointed out the harsh and hellish landscape of fire and dead rock with a wave of his hand.

"Fight? Fight for what? Look around, all around us, everywhere in the world…there's nothing left. There's no point," the robot said flatly.

"There's always a point. For hope…and for Raven," Robin said stoutly, "As long as we're still here, we still have a chance and that's why we're going to keep fighting."

"_Ach_, Robin's right, you guys!" Kurt said with determination, "We can't give up, not when our parents and the Professor are like this, turned to stone and with the H.I.V.E. kids being forced to live the rest of their lives as Heartless minions for Slade. **We have to fight!** It'll be a lot better than just waiting around her and having them come to us to finish us off when we're weak from thirst and hunger!"

"But we don't know how to stop Slade and the Hellions, especially now that Scath is here," Fred said wearily, "Unless we can banish Scath back into that dimension from where he came from, we might as well be coming up to the bull pen waving a big red flag."

Yet Leomon then said forcefully, "No, there **is** someone who has the power to banish him. Raven, the Titan and daughter to that monster king. If she was the portal that brought him into our world, she can also have the power to force him back. If you want to save your world and stop those Heartless from causing the Earth to disappear, you need to find that kid."

The X-Men, the Titans, and the Misfits turned their attention to the lion who was crossing his arms over his chest and sulking darkly, as if he hated being in their presence. There was a general silence as they all took this in while evaluating their suspicions about the mysterious humanoid warrior.

"Leomon…that reminds me…" Toad asked at last, "How is it you know so much about these Heartless, yo?"

"Because the Heartless have destroyed my world as well, eons ago," Leomon confessed softly, and Lance could spot the quick moment of grief etched on the warrior's face, before Leomon, after a long pause, added, "I'm the last of my kind…so I've been fighting against them ever since."

The X-Men, the Titans, and the Misfits didn't know how to feel about this, but it certainly made them less guarded around Leomon a bit due to the pity. Lance then laid a tentative hand on Leomon's clenched paw that was resting on the lion's squatting knee.

"I'm sorry about that…" the Misfit said sympathetically. Leomon just gave Lance an annoyed glare.

"It's not going to bring back what I have lost, so don't even bother with the useless words of encouragement!" the digital swordsman snapped harshly. Fred then glared rather angrily at the towering lion. He had enough of this, and the Blob could see that if they needed to get anywhere with the Heartless and Trigon, some words needed to be said, and quite frankly, Fred had no problem speaking his mind in this situation.

Blob retorted, "Hey, Lance's trying to be nice, so there's no need to act like he doesn't know anything about losing people you care about! Just because you're the only being here who knows how big of a threat the Heartless are doesn't mean you have to shoulder the entire burden of fighting them on yourself, especially when all of us want ta' help and have as much right to fight this war as you do! This façade of how you don't need our involvement and how we're not on the same side is pretty dumb, Leomon, considering that it's not fooling anyone! Even **I** can understand that none of us can fight alone without asking for help from time to time, and if your pride wasn't so overblown, you'd realize that sooner! Asking for assistance and admitting your weaknesses doesn't mean you're any less of a warrior, Leomon!"

Leomon looked up sharply at the fat mutant, and it was apparent from the look on his face that the lion being was torn between ripping into Fred for his boldness and being stunned from that particular shaft hitting home.

"Leave it to 'Psychotic Psychiatrist Blob' to get through to a psychotic and arrogantly macho lion with a sword," Amara muttered, rolling her eyes at the thought. Scott then turned to Leomon.

"As much as it shocks me to say it, the Blob has a point, Leomon," the leader of the X-Men pointed out in a forced voice, "We could use your help in telling us what you know about Scath and this new threat you refer to as the Heartless. We share a common enemy, so you have as much to gain as we do if we can defeat Scath. Keep in mind, we're not being stupid enough to ask you for your help again, but we are asking for information, anything to help us stop Scath and save Raven - "

"First of all, you little bespectacled prick, I have no intention on saving Raven unlike the rest of your delusional group," the lion snarled, baring his fangs, "And secondly, quit referring to Trigon by the name 'Scath'. Refer to him by his real name, '**Trigon**'!"

"_Trigon?_" Aqualad echoed.

"The demon's name is Trigon, not Scath," Leomon said a bit harshly and impatiently as he glared at Aqualad, "'Scath' was the name the Order of Azar used as a pseudonym to hide and obscure his influence and evil from the world. It is like how you mutants in the X-Men and the Misfits use code names to disguise your real birth names when you go out into battle. Raven's father's real name is Trigon, so at least get it right, kid."

"Trigon?" gasped Wanda and Kurt, both now looking thoroughly rattled as Wanda clasped both hands to her mouth and Kurt's eyes went as wide as saucers, causing a few heads to turn in their direction.

"Yo, Fuzzy, what's wrong? You've heard of Trigon or Scath or whatever he's called?" Todd asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer. Kurt then answered, shakily.

"I heard that name before from some of the Fathers in my Catholic Church!" Kurt exclaimed, "Though it really couldn't have been proven and it was mostly based on speculation from some eyewitnesses of prisoners who listened to the apostle John while he was rotting in jail and writing Revelations, it was claimed that one of the beasts in the Book of Revelation was based on a demon by the name of 'Trigon', and though it was never officially written in the Bible and the fellow inmates were dismissed as raving lunatics, some of the Red Sea Scrolls actually also supported this claim by making one reference to a demon of great evil who was punished severely by the will of the Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. In fact, it was written that Jesus Christ was the one who banished and exorcised the demon out of our realm by the Holy Spirit!"

"Let Remy guess…this demon's name wouldn't happen to be 'Trigon', would it?" Gambit asked warily.

"Exactly," Kurt affirmed, nodding.

"And his cruelty and demonic power is legendary in magical history as well," Wanda murmured, her pale face now sharply contrasted against her red and black hair, "When I was studying with Agatha Harkness when I was staying at the Brotherhood House, she showed me some ancient texts she had on her while she was my tutor and mentor. One of those texts mentioned how Trigon was a demon lord of the Ancients since time began, since this world and reality was formed. Though it was dismissed as a story blown up and exaggerated over time, Trigon was a demon born of the evil energy in the fabric of reality of space and time, meaning that he's the embodiment and source of a lot of the vice that's found in this dimension. Granted, Trigon's not the only source, but he's pretty bad nonetheless. He's been told to conquer whole worlds and dimensions as quickly as in the blink of an eye, and no person of this earth was ever able to stop him except Azar himself. Trigon could even give that Phoenix Force that we tangled with at Apokolips a run for its money!"

Robin turned to Leomon, his face contorted with dark suspicion. There was something the lion being wasn't telling them, of this, the Titans leader was certain…

"How is it that you know so much about this? And now that I think about it, you still haven't explained why you're so hostile and defensive about Raven, especially since she's never done anything to you," Robin growled. Scott and several of the others who were nearby also narrowed their eyes at the sullen Leomon in mistrust.

Scott said crossly, "Robin has a point, Leomon. Could it be the only reason you know so much about Raven and Trigon in the first place because you want to try to rule the world with her powers like Brother Blood and Blackheart and the Hellfire Club are doing?"

Leomon looked like he was going to belligerently keep his mouth shut, but then Lance prodded him gently, "Leomon, we know we don't have the right to ask you to share with us, but…we know you're not evil and you don't want this world to be doomed like your world. And if you won't help us for Raven, then can you at least help us for every innocent person who'll die if Trigon rules over the Earth? Please, we need to know why you're after Raven so badly because we're worried about her and because we need her to help send Trigon back for good."

"Gee, what's the matter, Alvers?" sneered Remy, "Moved on to a new love interest after getting dumped by Kitty?"

"Gambit, shut up!" snarled Wanda, Fred, Beast Boy, Tabitha, Kurt, Jamie…and surprisingly enough (to Piotr's slight annoyance), Kitty.

Leomon looked at Lance for the longest of moments, hard and conflicted, before he then turned to Robin and growled with resentment, "Raven…she was one of the reasons why I am even in your world in the first place. I had to learn everything about her so I could prepare myself for the mission that was given to me to prevent the Armageddon from even occurring, not that I was able to succeed."

"What?" Bumblebee gasped, her body going rigid. Leomon ignored the looks of shock on the teens' collective faces as he then threw caution to the winds and revealed his secret.

Leomon said huskily, "Raven was my assignment. The reason I came to fight the Heartless, the reason I am even in your world in the first place…was because I was sent to kill Raven."

The response was instantaneous as most of the gathered group were prepared to leap and attack Leomon, immediately having their blood turn cold upon this assertion. As much as they suspected before, it was nowhere near the rage and guardedness and caution they felt now for the tawny-furred lion humanoid. It was like standing in the presence of a serial killer who just confessed to murdering your family. Lance looked a little taken aback.

"Happy now, Alvers?" Scott shouted at Avalanche accusingly, "I **_told_** you he couldn't be trusted! Leomon's our enemy! And yet you **_still_** had to bring him here with us!"

"Relax, kids," Leomon rumbled a bit bitterly, "She's not dead, or have you forgotten that Trigon is already here in your world? Had I succeeded in killing her, the portal would have never been opened and your world would have been spared."

"But you'll kill Raven once she's free and clear and when she manages to send her father out of Earth, aren't you?" Amara growled, her hands lit with tow fireballs ready to do some major damage, "In other words, we'll make your job easier so that she does the work of fighting Trigon, and you'll step in and finish her off as soon as our guard is down!"

Leomon just silently gave a cold glare at the X-Girl, which was enough to convince the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Titans that Amara was right in her guessing.

"So why didn't you kill her?" Gizmo said, earning a few outraged looks from the Teen Titans, his voice now going falsetto from his hysterics, "Why didn't you kill Raven then? It would have saved us a lot of trouble, and H.I.V.E. Academy wouldn't be reduced to this if she weren't alive anymore! **_If you just killed that moody, sewer-dwelling witch-freak in the first place, this world wouldn't have doomed, and we wouldn't all be screwed over!_**"

Before Cyborg, Robin, or Aqualad could reach over and pound the H.I.V.E. inventor for being so thoughtless and inconsiderate, someone then beat them to it and drew back a hand to slap Gizmo hard across the face, stopping his screaming tirade.

_Smack!_

Gizmo turned his head back to Jinx in front of him. Jinx's hand was still drawn out in front of her from slapping Gizmo's cheek, her entire body quaking underneath her torn and dusty clothes, her eyes troubled and shining. Gizmo couldn't have been more shocked; one of his closest friends just slapped him for saying something that most if not all of the H.I.V.E. student body probably agreed on.

"What did you do THAT, for?" screeched Gizmo, "I was telling what should have been said! Oh come on, stop looking at me like that when you know everyone else here is probably thinking of the same thing! None of this would have ever happened if that bitch Raven never existed in the first place! If she died, then the Earth wouldn't be doomed! There's nothing wrong with it! The death of one useless fuzz-chewer to save everyone else who's important is a small price!"

Jinx then looked at Gizmo with glazed eyes, her body drooping as if it was hollow and devoid of any soul.

"The Hellions and the Hellfire Club probably said the same thing when they sacrificed us to the experiments and the Heartless then, Gizmo," she said in an empty and emotionless voice, but with a twinge of sorrow. The boy's eyes widened a little before the truth from the comparison came crashing down on him from the sky, reminding him that there was very little difference between H.I.V.E.'s betrayals and Raven's birthright. Gizmo then felt guilty as he resentfully kept his mouth shut. Lance however was not fazed from this confession; to Leomon (and of this, Lance could understand), this was neither right nor wrong, but necessary. It still didn't change the fact that Leomon really did not mean any harm to befall on the X-Men or the Misfits and that he wanted to fight for the protection of Earth.

"Leomon, it's still not right," Lance said persistently, trying hard to convince the lion warrior of his error, "It's not Raven's fault that she was to be Trigon's portal. Raven's a victim in this too, as much as anyone if not more so. She had no choice, and you know as well as we do this wasn't something she wanted. She tried to fight against it."

"I'm still not greatly convinced, Avalanche," Leomon muttered rudely. At the same time, Althea was thinking to herself on why Leomon waited so long to attack Raven when he certainly had numerous times and chance to strike before Raven fled Jump City. If he truly wanted to kill Raven, then Leomon would have done it without care and as hastily as possible like any assassin or ninja. So why the wait until now? The only reason he could have possibly hesitated for so long would only be if…

"You couldn't kill her," Althea said softly. It was more of a statement than a question, as if Althea knew it to be the truth and that there was no need for Leomon's confirmation. Leomon narrowed his eyes and flattened his ears against his head as he bared his teeth at the Misfit leader for being so audacious at the hidden barb that he lost his resolve and nerve on the mission (though he could secretly admit that a part of his soul rang true for that one).

"Don't fool yourself into thinking that I am weak at heart, Wavedancer!" Leomon roared, already starting to lose his temper, "I was sent her to kill Raven, and by the Great Beast, if her death is what it takes to make sure that this world doesn't die under Trigon's presence or by the Heartless, then I'll gladly do it once I have the chance!"

"Like, sent by _who_? **WHO** ordered you go and totally kill Raven?" Kitty demanded, her eyes flashing dangerously, indicating that she wasn't in the mood for any more withholdings of information. Leomon returned the glare back with extra coolness.

"That is none of your business," he growled

"Sorry! Wrong answer, fur-face!" Speedy growled as he, Scarlet Witch, Cyclops, Starfire, Colossus and Gambit all powered up, aiming their attacks at the seated lion in front of them. Speedy pointed his steel shaft directly between Leomon's eyes before he made his request again.

"Last chance, Leomon…tell us who the hell ordered you to assassinate Raven or Mr. Pointy Arrow finds a new home in that thick head of yours!"

Leomon regarded him coolly as he remarked, "I faced the Heartless and countless forms of the darkness and evil that could swallow up worlds and planets whole and cause stars an suns to die out with barely a whisper. You honestly think I'd be intimidated by a couple of meddling, nosy teenagers such as yourselves?"

"So why weren't you able to kill Raven? What stopped you? She kicked your butt or something when you tried before?" Roberto shot back rather snidely. Leomon gave Roberto a look that would have instantly killed him on the spot for the underlying insult against his skills as a swordsman and a warrior, but he bit his tongue as he then explained what happened when he tried to kill Raven in Azarath and how Raven fled there once her secret had been discovered. The other listened with interest until they heard about the ritual of marriage with Brother Blood and Raven.

"**_Brother Blood?"_** roared Cyborg in fury, "**He's** in on this too?"

"Yes, and from what I can tell when I tried to kill Raven in Azarath, he's a member of the Hellfire Club as well as Slade is," Leomon explained.

"WHAT?" chorused the Titans and Jinx and Gizmo and the Hivemistress. It seemed like today was the day for unpleasant surprises and briefings. Fred then gasped as it came to him.

"It makes sense then!" Blob spoke, "Remember when the Titans told us about how Brother Blood was reported to just simply have disappeared without a trace from maximum security in Steel City? This might explain it then! The Hellfire Club would certainly be a group that could spring a megalomaniac like Brother Blood and be cunning enough to cover their tracks! They sprung Brother Blood so that he could commit the ceremony with Raven in Azarath!"

"Well then, we'll just make sure he gets a very painful annulment…" growled Red Witch as hex energy began to glow in her hands.

"Wait, but that doesn't explain how Slade came back, especially since he supposedly died after that fight with Terra," Lance pointed out, but Leomon's face softened a bit before he turned to Lance.

Leomon explained, "Because when Trigon sired Slade into his services, he brought Slade back from the dead as a living dead. Slade is rather a phantasm, a spirit that was created specifically to carry out Trigon's wishes and deeds, but bound to Trigon under the promise that the demon lord will resurrect him back to flesh and blood if he carries out his tasks and helps acquire Raven into his clutches."

"Great, so now we have to fight Slade who's in some kind of zombie mode!" griped Speedy.

Cyborg then turned to Jinx as he told her sternly, "It's gonna get ugly, Jinx, so it'll be best if you and the rest of the H.I.V.E. students stayed here and try to just rest and stay low. If we don't survive this fight, then at least you and the rest of the school won't die along with us…"

Jinx nodded before she then spoke something she had been struggling with in her heart for quite some time.

"And Cyborg…" sniffed Jinx. The Teen Titan turned to Jinx, a bit puzzled.

"Yeah?"

"For what it's worth…I'm sorry me and the other H.I.V.E. guys gave you a hard time. I…I really wish we weren't meant to get off on the wrong foot with each other, especially since you and the Titans cared more for us that the Hellfire Club and the Hellions ever did…which is kinda pathetic in itself."

Cyborg's eyes went soft with touched sorrow before he answered back gently, "And for what it's worth…the same can be said from the Titans too. We're sorry too, for everything. And me especially, Jinx. I just remembered how hurt you were when you discovered I was really Stone and how I led you on while I was undercover. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that…so I'm especially sorry for being rotten to you."

Jinx nodded, but she was a bit surprised to feel a little uplifted from that simple apology.

"So then we do this…for Raven!" Robin said with fervent passion as he pumped his fist in the air.

"For Raven…" the Titans and Titans East vowed.

"For our parents…" the Misfits vowed.

"For the world…" the X-Men vowed, and upon hearing these words, streams of a familiar black energy began to gather and swirl around the Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men and Silkie and Lockheed before it promptly vanished. The heroes then looked at each other with wide eyes before they all arrived at the truth simultaneously, looking at their hands with wonder.

"OK, that felt weird…" Menos commented. Rina then grinned at last as she held up a hand and showed everyone the ball of telekinetic shadows resting in her palm.

"I think this is also due to Raven when she protected us from Trigon's power," X23 said excitedly, "So even though we haven't been able to stop Trigon from coming, at least Raven left us a way to fight him! She must have bequeathed us a bit of her powers before she disappeared as the portal!"

"And it grows stronger as we stand as one," Starfire agreed.

Starfire then explained how when the Puppet King attacked the Titans before and how she and Raven switched their souls into each other's bodies, and by doing so, the Tamaranean was taught that Raven's powers were based on emotion (thus justifying why Raven needed to always keep her feelings in check through constant meditation).

Starfire spoke, "…so I have used Raven's powers once before. They are controlled by emotions, so the more we feel, the more energy is released."

"Huh?" Toad blinked, lost already.

Cyborg then summed it up, "In other words, get angry, Toad."

"Oh…I gotcha," Toad nodded.

Pietro snorted in self-amusement as he cocked his head at his twin sister, saying rather mockingly, "Gee, **that** won't be a problem. My psychotic sister over here has enough anger and dysfunctional PMS to finish off the entire _solar system_ when it comes down to it."

"He _never_ learns to keep his mouth shut, does he?" Aqualad groaned as Wanda managed to hex Pietro into standing still while she then tackled him and started pounding her screaming brother. Kitty gave Garth a sardonic look.

"And you like just realized this now?" she quipped.

"And there's some good news!" Quinn reported as she held up her pink scanner, "Even though the Titans Tower is still damaged like everything else, we were able to detect that a lot of our stuff is still safe, including our battle uniforms and some of the equipment we brought along for such a firefight!"

"That **is** groovy news!" Forge exhaled a bit, "With our uniforms and some weapons still intact, we might then be able to seriously fight Trigon and Slade and the Hellions!"

"And let's not forget our glovatrixes!" Sam added, "After all, Razor would have wanted us to pack whatever heat we can, 'specially since he spent so long training us how to build and use 'em!"

"And we got Raven on our side, even though she's not here with us physically…" Beast Boy said with growing optimism, realizing that this could be a massive trump card if played right.

"…but she's with us in spirit, and that's what's gonna count when we give Trigon some payback and send him back to his smelly dimension once and for all! We're gonna hit him where it hurts!" finished Brittany stoutly.

Suddenly, an anguished howl broke the reverie of bleakness upon the crowd as they all turned back to the source of the sound. The mutants, the Titans, the Hivemistress, Jinx, and Gizmo then could see Jean and Rogue both leaving Mammoth alone as they quietly edged towards the rest of the group. Though they could not see Shimmer and Mammoth's back was turned to them, all of the crowd could witness Mammoth's shoulders quaking with wracking sobs, his entire hulking form rocking something limp in his arms back and forth, as he screamed long and hard with a mixture of loss, sorrow, and rage.

Jinx turned with numb dread at a white-faced Rogue and Jean Grey.

"Se-…Selinda?" Jinx asked, her lower lip trembling, her voice cracking. Jean looked at the pink-haired witch hollowly for several seconds before she realized she couldn't say it, and she shook her head, tears running down her face.

"I…I'm so…I'm so sorry, Jinx," Jean wept softly.

That sentence was self-explanatory.

"Poor kid," murmured Remy, mourning under his breath for both Mammoth and Shimmer.

Rogue just looked darkly at the floor, her face full of self-loathing and remorse as she put on her glove back on her exposed hand. The Titans' faces all fell, pained, while the Misfits and X-Men gave grim expressions, silent. Silkie gave strange gurgling noises of sorrow while the dragon, Lockheed, rubbed his head against the worm's as an act of comfort. Kurt was whispering a prayer of the Catholic Anointing while Daria, Quinn, and Brittany sniffed, wiping their faces with their hands and sleeves. Lina held her hands to her mouth in disgust and tragic compassion. Gizmo just frowned as he stared lifelessly at the rubble and rocks at his feet, his eyes blank and emotionless, refusing to break. Yet it was Jinx who broke down as she covered her face and sobbed without restraint.

Unwilling to just stand by, Starfire did the only thing she could think of, regardless of Jinx being the Titans' enemy.

The red-haired extraterrestrial reached out and gently hugged Jinx, careful not to crush her with her strength, and continued to hold her as a token of condolence as the witch continued sobbing for Selinda who was the last student to finally perish from the brutal treachery and disregard of the Hellfire Club.

---

"So this is the dawn of the new age, huh? I hafta say, it's definitely not as glamorous as I thought," the Hellion Beef commented with boredom as he and the Hellions just watched Trigon resting contently on a throne of dead, gray, cold rock, the seat located directly in the epicenter of Jump City, among the crushed remains of the local inhabitants turned to stone. Indeed, the makeshift chair was made from the hollowed out remains of a skyscraper, and after adjusting it to his proportions, Trigon settled down quite comfortably, a grin of sadistic pleasure dancing across his features as he breathed in the ashy, thick air with triumphant satisfaction. And as a further testament to his authority and conquest over the planet, decorating the very skyscrapers next to him, side by side the armrests of Trigon's throne, were the frozen statues of the frozen adults of the X-Men and the Misfit handlers. All of them: Shipwreck, Storm, Razor, Beast, Roadblock, Low Light, Cover Girl, Professor Xavier, Blind Master, Wolverine, and Spirit were displayed for all to see, a sign of how these select few out of the many heroes of this world failed to prevent the Armageddon and stop him.

Trigon was the one who now ruled all, the embodiment of all evil in this world and beyond, and as such, all would submit to him and call him their lord and master. And what bothered Arella as she stood next to Brother Blood with a mixture of revulsion and regret was the crystal-clear ball of shimmering energy that was trapping a young form of Raven, now no longer a teenager but rather a mere child no older than eight or nine years old. Yes, Raven, due to Brother Blood's marriage, was truly spared when she became the portal to Earth, and now, the child was cowering with fear, trying to gather her white cloak around her body as a shield while Trigon sneered, playing with the sphere in his hands and gazing upon his child of evil.

"I told you she would be spared. The Hellfire Club has kept its promises," Brother Blood said rather smugly as he and Slade watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and satisfaction. Arella shot them a cold glare, but she kept her silence. As long as Raven was still alive and safe…

Suddenly, a hailstorm of sunspot energy, green starbolts, homing missiles, and bomb arrows rained down from the sky as Sunspot, Starfire, Cyborg and Speedy (carried respectively by Beast Boy transformed as a pterodactyl and Rogue) struck from the air. On the ground, a massive combination of electricity, hex energy, optic energy and biokinetic playing cards flew at Trigon's body from the ground. The Hellions and Slade glanced to see Cyclops, Scarlet Witch, Gambit, and Bezerker finishing their assault as the rest of the four groups converged and united at once. Robin stood at the very center of the congregation, his fists called and his expression dark with ferocious anger.

"**Trigon!**" snarled Robin, his throat going hoarse from bellowing, "Stand up and fight!"

"Give us back Raven and our parents, you overblown yahoo!" Rogue shouted with dangerous anger.

"As I have said earlier, Marie, they have come as a final attempt to prove their bravado, just as I have predicted…" Slade commented rather self-righteously to the Hellion Tarot.

"Have they gone truly insane?" Bevatron gasped, "There's no way they think they can win!"

"**_Insignificant insects! Begone!_**" Trigon snarled as he let loose another blast of red energy from all four of his eyes, and at this, the Teen Titans, Titans East, the X-Men and the Misfits joined hands, with Silkie resting on Starfire's shoulder and Lockheed perched on Kitty's shoulder right before the blast struck them with the same force of a nuclear bomb…

**_Kaaa-BBOOOOOMMMM!_**

"And like all fools, they died thinking that they could truly delay the inevitable…" Brother Blood began, bragging as he became a bit giddy at the supposed deaths of the mutants and the Titans before he trailed off with horrified gall at the sight as the Hellions' collective jaws dropped in shock.

"No way…" Jetstream murmured.

There, floating in the air, joining hands and forming a straight line, were the Teen Titans, the Misfits, the Titans East, and the X-Men, all of them with hard expressions of determination on their faces as they stood with locked legs and their backs straight, each and every one of the teenagers glowing with shimmering airs of silver and white.

"Now this certainly is a surprise…" Slade commented flatly, truly taken aback.

Trigon's head snapped up, alarmed, as he then sensed something familiar about those auras…

"**_That power…!_**" he snarled with rage, realizing the source of the heroes' ultimate weapon.

It was then that the X-Men, the Misfits, the Teen Titans, and the Titans East all bellowed out the one sentence Trigon least wanted to hear, their voices rising in crescendo with each syllable, the words brimming with their power, their courage, and their hope.

"**_AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!_**"

Instantly, all the black energy coursing and channeling through each and every mutant of the X-Men, the Misfits, every Titan, and even Silkie and Lockheed swelled many times over before it streamed from all their bodies and right in front of the linear congregation, coagulating into a large, crackling hot ball of dark aura. Slade could feel it, the tense friction of unseen yet dangerous sensations of something building, something huge approaching. And he was not disappointed. With a cracking roar, the ball of shadow-force transformed into a writhing serpent, its eyes glowing red with power, its fanged mouth gaping open in a furious hiss, and with a upwelling flood of telekinetic force, the stream of energy was sent hurtling through the air, streaking and whipping madly in the sky in mere split-seconds, before the coiled serpent struck Trigon dead-center in his chest with full force.

_SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!_

"**_YYYYAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!_**" Trigon bellowed with real, agonizing pain before the attack subsided, the teenagers now ceasing their attack with growing dread. It wasn't enough! Trigon then glared murderously at the heroes.

"**_You may think it wise to attack me while I gather my strength, but as you fools can see, not even a farewell blessing from my daughter can save you! BE GONE, PESTS!_**"

And with a huge furious discharge of energy, Trigon sent another blast directly at them, and though the powers of Raven's soul was flowing freely through them all and protected them with a telekinetic shield, it was not enough as they all were sent plummeting to the ground below before crashing heavily. Luckily, as the dust cleared, they were not hurt in the slightest.

"Ow…" groaned Shadowcat as she picked herself from the rubble and hard ground, "That was like sooooo not a soft landing!"

Gambit turned to Cyclops as he took out his metal bo, "Uh…Cyclops? Remy thinks we're gonna have to do this the hard way. Apparently, we weren't angry enough…"

"At least with so much lava and molten rock all around us, it'll give us an edge on this battle. If Slade thought that it was painful when Terra dumped him inside the volcano, he's going to find out how much more painful it'll be when **I** do it to him," Magma piped up as she transformed into her fiery-form, the flames engulfing her body and figure and causing the surrounding lava around them to quiver slightly in anticipation from her sensitive mutant powers. Cyclops and Gambit gave a slight nod; it **was** a benefit in their favor.

Slade then spoke to Trigon, "Master, give me what has been lost. Return me back to life and I shall rid of the Titans and their mutant allies for you if it pleases you!"

Trigon nodded as he pointed a finger at Slade, growling, "**_Strike in my name then, my faithful servant! What has been lost shall now be found! I bring you back to flesh and blood! Arise!_**"

"Well, guess Slade's no longer a zombie," Wavedancer quipped as Slade began to glow bright red before the light subsided, though the damned mark was still burning brightly on his head.

"Well, that should make it all the better then," snarled X23 as she drew out her adamantium claws with a cold _shikt_, "Then that means we can have the pleasure of killing him again! And making sure the creep **stays** dead for good!"

"Better warriors have tried and failed, X23," Slade then grinned sadistically behind his mask as he pressed a button on a foreign remote he took out of his pocket, and the X-Men then heard some very unwelcome and familiar sounds of booster rockets as ten to fifteen hulking metallic giants descended heavily from the air…

"A gift from the Hellfire Club, my dear X-Men and Misfits," Slade uttered with vicious and aggressive malevolence, "We have been dying to try our latest toys on your sorry groups…"

"_Mon dieu!_" gasped Gambit, his body growing cold, "Sentinels! That _homme_ managed to bring out Sentinels!"

"Sentinels? As in those mutant-hunting robots created by Trask? The same prototypes that exposed the existence of mutants to the world several years ago?" Bumblebee asked in disbelief.

"Oh boy, when Slade wants to kill us, he really goes all out!" Iceman gasped, shivering.

"It's what I do best, Iceman…farewell," Slade chuckled at the private joke as the leading Sentinel was about to fire its destructive laser cannons and missiles.

"Aw, crap, this couldn't possibly get any worse!" Quicksilver moaned.

"**_PIETRO, SHUT UP!_**" bellowed most of the X-Men, Misfits, and even a few Titans in unison, unwilling to let Murphy's Law take into effect. But to everyone's surprise, a combination of machine-gun bullets and pink hex energy came from behind the Titans and mutants before striking the Sentinel with full force, causing it to stop dead in its tracks.

"That attack!" gasped Dragonfly before she and the other turned around to see…Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth standing there with frightened yet bold expressions. It was only those three students from H.I.V.E. academy…

"I thought we told you to stay with the other H.I.V.E. students back at the Academy!" Aqualad snapped, but Gizmo was adamant.

"You're welcome by the way, you urine-sucking sea-cow!" Gizmo sneered at the Atlantian, but Jinx then stepped forward with a grim yet determined expression on her face.

"Hey, you can't argue you could use all the help you could get, especially since those Sentinels are probably programmed to kill both Titans and mutants," she pointed out.

"Didn't anyone else from H.I.V.E. want to come?" Mas asked in Spanish, but Jinx was able to guess what the Hispanic speedster was trying to ask, and she shook her head.

"No one else wanted to help out, to risk their lives over a fight they think is suicidal anyway," she said in a strained voice, "They figured at least dying slowly and in peace is a lot better than getting ripped apart again by Trigon and the Heartless. It's just us…your typical H.I.V.E. rejects. It's not much…and Robin told Leomon to not show up since you guys would attack him and treat him like an enemy if he dared to show his face in battle. He's back at the ruins of H.I.V.E. with the other students. Like I said, it's not much…"

"But it's something, Jinx. No person's worthless," Cyborg said with a bit of warm encouragement, and the pink-haired witch managed to shakily smile with gratefulness at the Titan robot for the sincere comment. Robin logically then knew there was no dissuading the trio, and rationally, the more firepower they had to their side, the better.

"Just so you three know what you're getting into…you might die from fighting Trigon and the Heartless. Are you ready for that?" Robin asked. Mammoth looked at him hollowly.

"After today…I don't have anything else to lose," the large ape-like mutate hissed with revenge, devoid of any feeling. The Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men nodded strongly. Silkie and Lockheed gave battle roars as they got pumped up and ready for the incoming action.

Turning to the enemy, Robin and Bumblebee then steely commanded to the members of the Teen Titans, Titans East, Silkie and Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth, "Titans and H.I.V.E…GO!"

Cyclops then roared at the X-Men and the New Mutants and Lockheed, "X-Men…MOVE OUT!"

Wavedancer gave everyone in her family a look of courageous encouragement as she pumped her fist into the air as she yelled, "Misfits…YO JOE!"

"YO JOE!" chorused the Misfits as a true team and family, throwing their fists in the air and bellowing their battle cry at the top of their lungs.

As one, unstoppable, relentless, determined force…the horde of teenagers charged directly towards Trigon, Slade, Brother Blood, the Sentinels, the Heartless and the Hellions in the deciding battle for the fate of Earth.

**Author's Notes: To find out what Fred and Roberto and Jamie were referring to, go read Red Witch's fanfics: "Parallel Lives", "The Misfit Chronicles", and "Of Psychos and Sea Serpents" which by the way are an excellent readings and works of art! And prepare yourselves everyone for next Friday (assuming I have time to write it) for the obligatory main fight scene! Can they win? Will Raven be safe? Can the world and the planet be spared even though the Titans, the Misfits, and the X-Men are against the Hellions, Slade, Brother Blood, the Sentinels, and the Heartless? Don't miss the next chapter, "It Ain't Over Till The Fat Demon Sings!" but until then, read and review and take time to offer constructive criticism. And yes, I'm sorry for all Selinda fans, but it has to happen this way for in the comics, Selinda died as well and I needed something to help prod the H.I.V.E. trio to help out not to mention give this chapter some well-needed drama. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and hope to see you next Friday!**


	9. It Ain’t Over Till The Fat Demon Sings!

**Author's Notes: Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I've started writing about the Misfit-verse! A full year! Can you believe it?**

**Misfits, X-Men, Joes, Justice League, Dinosaucers, Titans, Leomon and Jake (deadpanned): Unfortunately…yes.**

**Quiet, all of you! Enjoy this chapter, you guys!**

**CHAPTER 9: It Ain't Over Till The Fat Demon Sings!**

"I'm ready, Slade!" Robin yelled as he jumped within the masked sadist's sights. Slade smiled inwardly towards himself; only the Boy Wonder would know the satisfaction Slade would have at facing his former apprentice, just as Robin wouldn't be equally satisfied until he faced Slade and beaten him once and for all.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you, Robin," and Slade then chuckled as if the private thought was a joke to him before he said with delight, "But no amount of training and steadfastness would have ever prepared you for a one-on-one battle with a servant of Trigon and a member of the Hellfire Club. In this battle, I **am** your superior. After all, it was merely only a week or so ago when I was able to thwart your pitiful attempts to protect and hide the portal…"

"That's when you tried facing Robin alone," Wavedancer said with venom as she and X23 stood side by side with Robin in tense battle stances, "Wanna try pushing your luck against a Misfit and an X-Man as well, Slade? I'm just jumping for the chance to punch your lights out…"

Slade's body drew up a bit straighter, as if now interested in the challenge of three versus one as he said, "My, my, my…a trio of promising teens unafraid to test their limits? How touching…yet strangely stimulating. I must admit, Robin, that you have an odd yet thrilling habit of seeking the most derogatory of friends, but from the looks of it, these two girls are the proverbial diamonds in the rough, novel candidates for apprentices. Quite a discovery, the thought that I may have a Misfit and an X-Man as my possible protégées. It's simply the little pleasures that makes me glad I am alive now…"

"You **won't** be once we're through with you!" X23 snarled as she drew out her claws on both hands and her foot with a foreboding, spine-tingling _shikt_. Althea cracked her knuckles in anticipation while Robin's hand went ever so slightly towards his utility belt.

"This should be a match to remember…" Slade commented idly, as if he wasn't the least bit worried as X23, Wavedancer, and Robin blitzed him. Yet Slade was not worried in the slightest. He was not one of the top hired killers for nothing. The enigmatic male had the ability to use more than eighty-percent of his brain, and with so much mental guile, the killer could easily calculate and estimate every distinct probability in battle, thoroughly analyzing each prospect and chance until he comfortably covered all bases to ensure he would win with unnatural dexterity and finesse. And despite the skill of three fierce warriors such as Althea, Rina, and Robin, Slade was absolutely sure that no matter what, he would always remain the victor once this battle was over.

Robin struck first as he removed several Birdarangs from his utility belt and flung them hard at the masked assassin. Slade easily evaded the razor-sharp discs and projectiles with barely even any conscious effort as he twisted his body and sidestepped as swiftly as the wind, his moves strangely acrobatic and like a dance. Wavedancer and X23 then charged from both sides of their opponent, ready to besiege him with the very training techniques that they had perfected in the dojo of the Titans Tower for the past week. Wavedancer gave a jumping front kick, and upon seeing Slade effectively counter it with a high block of his forearm, X23 rushed in with an elbow strike to get within Slade's comfort zone. Slade simply strafed to the left before he returned a hard knee into X23's back, and biting back the pain of letting her healing factor kick in to slowly recuperate the broken bone, Rina attempted to return the favor with a spin kick aimed at Slade's exposed leg. Slade simply acrobatically back-flipped and caught the X-Girl hard in the chin with his foot with his split-kick. Wavedancer then rushed forward with a series of rabbit punches, all of which Slade simply avoided as he moved back and forth side to side, making it impossible for Althea to even land a strike. Enraged and frustrated, Althea then let out a devastating riposte while Robin now drew out his staff and hammered down on Slade above with quick, ferocious jabs at Slade's head and neck. Slade wordlessly just grabbed the end of Robin's staff deftly before wrenching it out of the Titan's hands, and then knocked Althea back with a swift axe-kick to her shoulder that dislocated on impact and left her stunned on the floor. As Robin tried to deliver a hammer kick on Slade's head, the masked adult grabbed Robin's foot before throwing Robin into a nearby outcropping of rock with a judo throw, sending Robin to collide hard with the wall and crumbling it on impact. Robin fell, dizzy and groaning, while Rina, now murderous, tried to feint to the left before kicking out with her foot to the right and adding a hammer punch. Slade just avoided every one of the X-Man's strikes before he crouched down and sent a devastating and powerful palm strike to Rina's chest that was so forceful, it sent X23 flying back at last ten feet, screaming. Slade scoffed at the bruised and bleeding three, surveying them with disenchantment.

"I would have thought that fighters are wise as yourselves would have already accepted the fact," Slade said none too warmly, "I can anticipate and read your every move; there will be no anomalies in _this_ fight. I have easily brought the strongest and most cunning fighters from all three teams on their knees without even breaking a sweat. The end shall be the same no matter what you heroes try. However, it's amusing, really, to think you three disappointments have a chance to stopping the Armageddon and saving the world…"

"You mean you're actually proud about dooming the world and causing the end of human life as we know it just to please the monster that brought you back to life?" spat Rina as she wiped the blood running from her mouth. Slade's eye gleamed a bit in the light of the lava flowing all around them.

"My dear, X23," Slade remarked idly, "You must think that I am doing this out of the ridiculous notion of loyalty. To tell the truth, I am simply doing this because it suits **me**…"

"As self-serving and backstabbing as always, Slade…" hissed Robin in unsurprised disgust as he, Wavedancer, and X23 blitzed him again.

Meanwhile, the other members of the Teen Titans, the Titans East, the X-Men, the Misfits, the H.I.V.E. trio, Silkie and Lockheed all managed to split apart and scatter to face their army of nemeses…

"Hellions, attack formation: Zeta-Hellfire!" the leader, Monet, exclaimed in a authoritative tone before she telekinetically lifted several huge boulders the size of minivans, her eyes narrowed in deliberation. Bringing her forefingers to her temples, the dark-haired girl sent them flying in lumbering arcs down upon Scarlet Witch and Jean. The X-Girl halted two of the stones in their tracks while Scarlet Witch then sent a massive hexbolt that immediately crumbled the rest of the rock hailstorm into dust and pebbles. Monet, during this distraction, was attempting to telepathically turn the girls on each other by controlling their minds when a small figure leapt out with a flying kick. Monet, her training from Emma Frost rising instantly, crossed her arms over her head and blocked the foot that was about to smash her right side of her face. Undaunted, Brittany adroitly back-flipped to the ground in front of the Hellion telepath before she did a handstand and high-kicked right underneath the apex of the crossed arms, catching Monet in the torso and sending her stumbling back. Shaking off the cobwebs, Monet glared at the lone Delgado sister as Jean and Scarlet Witch joined the lone Delgado adolescent.

"Well, well, well…" remarked Monet with one eyebrow raised, taken aback, "We thought that Trinity would stick together and try to take down one of us with their conjoined psychic waves."

"One rule about war, Monet: do whatever your enemy least suspects…" Brittany shot back, razzing the black-haired Hellion with a raspberry noisily.

"How true…" Monet shot back before she maliciously then sent a telepathic mental assault to incapacitate them before she slowly but surely attempted to detach each of their brainstems inside their skulls telekinetically. Such an attack would surely leave all of them brain-dead at once. It was ruthless and cold, but it was war. Wanda whimpered as Monet managed to break through the sturdy shields Raven's power left inside of her and fell to her knees, holding her throbbing head as the back of her skull felt like someone was ripping out her brain with a glove laced with fire. Jean, horrified at what Monet was trying to do, then neutralized the mental assault by shielding all of them with her telekinesis, and at once, the pain disappeared and subsided. Brittany then acted as she aimed her purple and pink glovatrix (Jake earlier conceded that Trinity could keep the designs that they stole from his blueprints) and fired several strange projectiles. Monet was about to deflect them, but Wanda, now murderous, sent out a hexbolt from the distracted Monet's blind spot, and with a flash of blue light, the Hellion was stripped of her powers. Monet screamed in rage before the missiles from Brittany exploded.

**Paff!** _Splat!_

"Auuuugggghhh!" screamed Monet as her entire face and upper body was now covered with thick, black sludge and white feathers, and no amount of wiping could ever remove it from her person. Brittany smirked.

"Like it? It's a simple tar-and-father missile we designed especially for something in this case. Have fun spending several hours removing it from your face with turpentine, Monet! Well, that is, after you finish treating your bruises, broken nose and black eye!"

"What are you talking about, you little - ?" Monet ranted as she blindly tried to blast the Delgado with her telekinesis by honing in on the sound of the Misfit's voice, yet Jean and Wanda then both simultaneously let loose a cross-punch directly in their opponent's face. There was a satisfying sound as Monet toppled over without a sound, unconscious.

At another part of the battlefield, Xi, Bezerker, and Beast Boy were brawling with Beef. The Hellion was busy dodging the blasts of burning electricity Ray was shooting at him before he then charged the X-Man with his fists swinging, ready to seriously cripple and beat the lanky teen to death. Bezerker's eyes widened as he continued to blast at the hefty and burly teenager, but Beef, like a football player, managed to gracefully avoid and dart narrowly in between the shafts of energy as he got closer and closer before it would be too late. Ray cringed, his face white, as Beef leapt at him with his fist…

**WHAM!**

A green elephant miraculously, at the last second, shoved Beef into the side, and before the Hellion could do anything, he was jostled off his warpath to attack Bezerker. Roaring and giving off an angry cry through his trunk, Beast Boy then stormed towards Beef with his tusks and trunk ready, his feet sending soft vibrations in the earth as the heavy and cumbersome elephant rushed. Beef grinned as he dived in between the elephant's legs at the last second before Beast Boy could try to subdue him and positioned himself underneath the elephant's stomach. Sadistically, Beef rammed his fists powerfully into the elephant's midsection, and Beast Boy winced as, despite the elephant's solid body, could feel the pain of the attacks. Distracted with the agony, the changeling could only limply struggle as Beef, with his massive strength, then actually managed to pick up the massive pachyderm, raising him over his head before he tossed him deftly at Bezerker.

"Yikes!" Ray yelped as he dodged to the side to avoid being crushed by the immense elephant, but Beast Boy then managed to get over his pain enough to transform into a hummingbird, flittering madly in the air and ceasing his descent. Beef was about to charge again when he yelled, his side throbbing, before he looked down and saw that he was bleeding. Then another set of deep lacerations raked across his cheek and shoulder. Then another set sliced across his back. Then another on his leg. Beef, now guessing that he was being attacked by some invisible enemy, managed to make another grab, and by pure luck, maintained a tight hold across the uniform of Xi who, now distracted, became visible. Xi tried to fight, but then the sandy-haired strong-man painfully grabbed Xi's wrists like a vise and hoisted them over the Misfit's head before Beef then grabbed Xi's legs with his other hand and lifted Xi over his head.

"Gotcha, ya' little snake! I'm gonna enjoy ripping you apart!" Beef snarled as he pulled hard.

Xi screamed in pain as he could feel his spine reaching the critical point before it would snap in half. Thankfully, Beast Boy came to the rescue as a green-skinned triceratops, as large as two SUVs put together and more than the combined ferocity and horsepower, rammed Beef hard in the back, the horn on the dinosaur's snout catching the Hellion full in his lumbar region of his backbone and gouging it rather painfully. Xi fell to the ground, whimpering with pain but the injuries lessening to a small twinge as Beast Boy then tossed a hollering Beef high into the air before the transformed back to human form.

"Dude, now!" yelled Garfield as he bent down to Xi's side, helping the Misfit stand up while the X-Men then unleashed the most powerful electrical blast he could ever summon and cut loose on the large target. Beef screamed even louder, almost falsetto, as the electricity ravaged his body before he lost consciousness and crashed to the ground hard, making an impact with his singed and slightly smoking body. Ray rushed over to Xi as he leaned heavily on Beast Boy.

"You OK, Xi?" The X-Man asked.

"I'll live…" Xi managed to groan as he tried to stand up by himself and tested his back, wincing at the effort but glad to discover that nothing was broken.

"Good, cause the fight's not over yet," Beast Boy sighed with a mixture of relief and dismay.

Meanwhile, Dragonfly was having an electrical dilemma of her own…

"Hey, fly-girl! Fly over here, the Hellions' personal bug-zapper for little pests like you!" snarled Bevatron with glee as he let loose on Dragonfly in the air while the female medic of the Misfits did her best to dodge and avoid the hot surges of energy. Thanks to her Joe training, she was able to remain unscathed, but Lina doubted that she could maintain it for long. Luckily, Silkie, Forge, and Quinn Delgado were engaged in battle with Bevatron alongside her. Forge, wearing a strange, shiny metallic suit and Quinn charged the Hellion, rushing him from both sides and barraged him with a flurry of punches and kicks (Forge was surprisingly adept at self-defense ever since Jake started sparring with him). Bevatron then ceased his attention on Lina in the air before he used his extensive training from the Hellfire Club to return some of physical violence of his own. Forge let loose a hook at the Hellion's face, but Bevatron blocked it before grabbing the collar of the X-Man inventor and yanked him hard toward his knee, driving it into Forge's stomach before delivering an uppercut. Forge stumbled back, dizzy and his jaw numb, while Quinn then flew down with a stomp-kick at her enemy's head. The Hellion managed to dodge-roll the foot and maneuver his way out of close-quarters with the eleven year-old Misfit. Undaunted, Quinn sprang at him, leaping high towards his head area with her leg extended out in front of her in a push kick formation. Sneering that this would be easy, Bevatron raised his arm and blocked it before grabbing the leg and dangling the girl upside down by the ankle, jerking her roughly and ready t6o electrocute her.

"Ready to fry, you little rugrat?" Bevatron sneered but before he could release a crippling surge of electricity, Quinn made one last desperate attempt from her position as she bent back her other leg and kicked the Hellion solidly in the chin as hard as she could, catching him off guard.

"Let me go, you creep!" Quinn shouted before she felt the grip around her ankle lessen, and the member of the Delgado Triplets managed to break her fall by doing a handstand and back-flipping away from the male teen as he rubbed his bleeding and stinging mouth. This was enough for Dragonfly to act…

"Take this, you jerk!" Lina cried as she rammed the sidetracked Bevatron full in the back, using her wings to propel her to an appropriate ramming speed with her arms crossed in front of her, elbows sticking out. Bevatron gave a grunt of painful surprised as his pitched forward, falling face-first on the ground. This gave Silkie the chance to act as he jumped off Lina's back and landed heavily on Bevatron's back before opening his mouth wide and chomping down hard…

Chomp!

"**_YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_**" screamed Bevatron, "My butt! **My butt!**"

"And nothing like a little photo to commemorate this little moment of humiliation," grinned Quinn, snapping her miniature digital camera as Bevatron tried furiously to grab and pry the mutant silkworm off his posterior, with Silkie's teeth deeply embedded into the Hellion's flesh.

During this altercation, Kitty was trying to taunt Jetstream into attacking her as he tore across the sky with his plasma-rocketing powers…

"Like, try coming down here and fight us like a man, you coward!" Shadowcat shouted to the skies above, but Jetstream was no fool. Due to the biochemical-thermal energy that his body expelled every time he propelled himself like a rocket and used his powers, parts of Haroun's body had broken down and disintegrated long ago, and when the Hellfire Club recruited him, they rebuilt parts of his physique with cybernetic parts. Like the Titan, Cyborg, Jetstream was part-robot. And he knew exactly what would happen if Shadowcat ever phased into him…

"I'd rather be a live coward than a dead X-Man!" Jetstream sneered as he took out a laser pistol from his pocket of his uniform and began shooting short pulses of hot radiation at Kitty, who managed to phase through them easily, not even making much of an effort to dodge them. Seeing it was fruitless, Jetstream then rocketed himself at breakneck, lethal speeds towards Piotr who was just below him. The Russian X-Man transformed into his steel mode right before the impact…

KAWHAM!

Not heavily injured but still surprised nonetheless, Colossus didn't even let out a grunt as the force Jetstream transferred to the X-Men was enough to send the heavy, solid-steel armored mutant flying back at least a hundred feet before he crashed into a large lake of lava, disappearing below the surface. Shadowcat screamed in fear as she ran to the edge of the island, hollering as loudly as she could, her voice frantic, "**Peter! Peter! Oh Peter, please like be all right!**"

"Yeah, like anyone could survive being dunked in a sea of molten rock, valley girl!" mocked Jetstream as he began to soar back into the air, away from being in range to close physical contact with Shadowcat, but then was astounded with gall and rage when Aqualad, taking a flying leap, jumped onto the Hellion's back.

"Guess who, topsider?" Aqualad snapped, not joking in the slightest as he grabbed Jetstream in a chokehold with the crook of one arm and covered the Hellion's eyes with his other hand. Now choking and blind, Jetstream's flight-pattern was incredibly erratic and frenzied, darting in crooked, chaotic lines as the dark-skinned protégée of Emma Frost did everything he could to buck off the Titan. Yet it was no use; Aqualad, with muscles developed from swimming and diving in incredibly deep and pressurized waters, had a grip of pure steel.

"By Atlantis, at least **try** to make it look like you're putting up a fight!" mocked Aqualad as he strengthened his grip even more while Haroun's fingers dug and clawed at his arms and hands, "I've fought with squids who were better brawlers and wrestlers than you! And they were definitely a lot less slimy and better company to boot!"

"Let go of me, you fish-kisser!" rasped Jetstream in a strangled, dying voice as he tried to shoot up higher into the sky, hoping the speed and G-forces would make the Titan East let go. Surprisingly, Aqualad let go and jumped off the Hellion's back, plummeting downwards back to the Earth. At first, Jetstream was relieved and satisfied…for a split-second. Because Aqualad was covering his eyes, Jetstream had no idea he was flying directly into the chest of a Sentinel robot until it was too late to even try to swerve desperately out of the imminent collision that was going to happen in less than one second…

**_KAA-BOOOOOMMMM!_**

"And scratch one Sentinel," smirked Aqualad as he landed back heavily onto the ground while the Sentinel exploded from impact of the discharge of bio-thermal radiation released from Jetstream when the Hellion unintentionally rammed directly into it. Speaking of the Sentinels, the rest of the killer robots Slade and the Hellfire Club had summoned were being challenged from Speedy, Bumblebee, Starfire, Gizmo, Mammoth, Gambit, Boom-Boom, Multiple, Magma, and Quicksilver. Since they could provide wide-ranged attacks powerful enough to take down armies, they all unconsciously joined in the front line to prevent the murderous and towering automatons. The archer of Titans East then acted first as he drew back his bowstring.

"Everyone, shield your eyes!" Speedy yelled warningly on their corresponding communicators right before he let loose a strangely constructed arrow with a strange, cylindrical apparatus on the very front end. The arrow speed with haste before it exploded in a bright flash of light, so bright it was almost like a miniature sun that managed to light the entire sky for an instant before settling the atmosphere back to its foreboding red and black heavens. The purple-and-red humanoid machines made whirring and clanking noises of malfunction as their heads darted back and forth madly, as if they had no idea where there targets were.

"Whoa! What did you do?" Pietro gasped, "What the heck was that arrow?"

"It was a flare-arrow!" Speedy shouted as he let loose a bomb arrow at another Sentinel, dead in its chest, causing it to falter a bit, "It can release a surge of pure light that is so strong, it can blind people! I sent it at the Sentinels so that I could overload their sensory-circuits in their robotic eyes! The Sentinels are blind now! Their circuits to their eyes are now overloaded! Trust me, I've tried this on robots before to know that it works! They're blind now! They can sense us, but at least they can't see us!"

"Finally, the Robin Hood reject finally does something useful other than sniff his armpits!" Gizmo sneered before he, Starfire, and Bumblebee took off in the air. Pulling out his robotic hang-glider strapped to his back, Gizmo flew up in the air while unleashing several machine guns from his sides. Screaming a triumphant and excited war cry, the dwarf-like inventor let loose several rounds of bullets powerful enough to pierce through a layer of inch-thick reinforced steel. Soon, two of the robots were riddled with smoking holes in the frontal regions, but they were still fully functional as their used their infrared vision to detect the H.I.V.E. student and let loose several blasts from the lasers centered in the palms of their robotic hands. Yet they were so busy trying to kill Gizmo, they didn't notice the Tamaranean from behind…

"**_Yaaaaaahhhhh!_**" Starfire screamed as she plummeted down at a steep angle, throwing an infinite volley of emerald energy bolts, each one of them burning in temperatures of hundreds, Fahrenheit. One of the Sentinels succumbed to the attacks and fell to the ground, a lifeless mound of smoking wreckage while the other Sentinel turned and was about to fire its laser cannon from its chest. Yet Starfire then built up a great nova of green energy before she used both of her hands to pitch it hard into the Sentinel's chest before it could fire.

KABOOM!

The Sentinel shuddered before its eyes went dark and it fell to the ground, a huge, smoldering hole through its entire body, its lower midsection completely obliterated. Back on the ground, Gambit, at the same time, took out two packs of playing cards from his pockets before he charged all one hundred and four projectiles, the face of the Cajun X-Man glowing with the rosy color of bio-kinetic energy.

"Here, _Monsieur Sentinel_!" Remy snarled before he let loose at three of the giant androids, actually twirling his body in the air in such a way that the cards flew and spiraled into a graceful, circulating column of kinetic pellets, "Five card poker is a dud! Try a full hand or two, courtesy of Remy LeBeau!"

**Kawhoom! Kawhoooom! KAWHOOOOMMM!**

Two of the Sentinels instantly perished from the massive explosion, sending them reeling on their backs while the third robot, though heavily damaged, was still standing. Upon seeing this, Bumblebee flew out at the half-blind and smoking Sentinel with her yellow energy stingers out and drawn. The Sentinel then reached out to grab and crush the Titan leader, but wisely, Karen shrunk to the size of an actual bee, and despite its sensitive equipment, the android could not detect any living organism that small as the Titan East member easily zoomed by and positioned herself behind the robot's back. Growing back to normal dimensions, it was too late for the Sentinel to do anything as Bumblebee let loose both of her stingers into the Sentinel's neck, causing it to malfunction at once before the head began to smoke and burst into flames, melting slightly under the intense heat.

Meanwhile, three of the metallic behemoths were being held at bay as they were blockaded by thousands upon thousands of miniature, pocket explosions, each blast eating away at their armor bit by bit, leaving charred, smoking and melted holes. With so many tiny and relatively microscopic pellets, the Sentinels could not decide how to deal with such attacks as they futilely lumbered around clumsily, trying to make their way through the cloud of energy bombs swarming all over them. It was like trying to fight through a cloud of stinging bees and wasps with only your hands.

"Keep it up!" Multiple yelled to his army of clones (at least over a hundred from what he last counted) as each Jamie continued to fire glowing plasma-spheres the size of ball-bearing with the crossbow attachments of their glovatrixes. With so many replicas of the X-Man, it was easy to surround the three Sentinels on all sides before unleashing the projectiles from all sides, not even giving the mutant hunters a second to counter-attack as they all kept up their onslaught. With so many explosions battering them, the Sentinels couldn't even get their bearings. And the battalion of Jamie clones would not run out of ammunition for a good while as a line of them waited to be supplied by a frantic yet energized Tabitha who was handing the clones handfuls and handfuls of time bombs…

"Go, go, go, go, go! We got 'em on the run!" yelled Boom-Boom as she kept making more and more energy pellets for each clone of Multiple to take from her in the assembly line, exactly like she did before with the Enforcers at Megakat City. Except only this time, she was making them as ammunition reserves for a whole army of Jamie doppelgangers. And indeed, what Boom-Boom said was true; one of the metal giants had already fallen, ripped to pieces and unable to take anymore as the numerous bombs had taken a bit of its life with every blast and left it dead and appearing as if it was nibbled and perforated to its final demise.

Quicksilver and Magma were both taking care of a Sentinel each. Amara has maintained her fiery mode and when the Sentinel of her choosing had managed to land on the ground, she summoned several gushers of molten rock to erupt from the hard ground underneath, and with so much of the area around them consisting of nothing but magma, it was easy for the X-Man to build up the pressure through the thin crust of earth. The giant robot didn't even stand a chance as the upwelling of magma exploded with powerful and searing red liquid, knocking it up in the air and melting most of its body armor on impact before its circuitry fell victim to the lava, being rendered into useless pools of metal and plastics in seconds.

"Ha ha! Can't catch me, can't catch me, can't catch me!" Pietro taunted in a fast voice as he ran circles around one Sentinel, avoiding the laser blasts and the attempts for the robot to stomp him flat. Predictably enough, the winds all around the automaton picked up as a miniature cyclone, and the machine could only beep wildly as it flew off its feet and crashed heavily into another Sentinel, sending them both on the ground, having difficulty to get up as they were piled upon each other, tangled and slightly malfunctioning.

Mammoth was the most savage and ruthless in his attacks. Roaring like a wild animal, Mammoth managed to grab the leg off the fallen Sentinel that Bumblebee managed to put down and ripped it off without any hesitation or thought, the exposed circuitry and fibers smoking and sparking madly. Gripping it firmly, Mammoth used it as a makeshift club before he charged toward another Sentinel. The robot, though blinded, still was able to use its built-in heat sensors to detect a rapidly moving form and shot out a devastating laser from its palm directly at the H.I.V.E. ape-man, the radiation powerful enough to incinerate Mammoth's body and skeleton to ashes upon several seconds of contact. Yet with quick reflexes, Mammoth used the Sentinel leg in his hands to deflect the blast, and since all the Hellions' Sentinels were reinforced with reflective titanium-steel alloys, the lasers singed past Mammoth at various angles, but the H.I.V.E. student was able to protect himself and keep the robot's attack at bay. Which was more than enough of a chance for Boom-Boom and Starfire to help out…

"Starfire!" yelled Boom-Boom as she made a plasma-time bomb as large as a wrecking ball, the enormous sphere glowing in various wavelengths of red, peach, and white, before she was able to gently toss it to the flying Titan above her head, "Throw this little surprise at big, tall, and ugly! Aim at the head, girl!"

Starfire nodded, showing she understood as she deftly caught the enormous time bomb and flew directly at the Sentinel that was attacking Mammoth at break-neck speeds. Starfire flung the bomb directly at the Goliath's head, and with a furious discharge, the leviathan was now missing its vital body part from the neck up, the detonation of Tabitha's gift so concentrated and severe, it left virtually nothing but ashes and charred flakes of paint and metal.

"Batter up!" growled Mammoth as he swung the leg with all of his might, and with a mad cloud of sparks and raining shards of burnt metal, the Sentinel was cleaved in half, hewed horizontally before the upper body fell backwards off the legs of the robot and crashed to the ground before burning at once. Still unsatisfied, Mammoth then swung the leg again and struck the still-standing legs of the destroyed Sentinel hard, now sending it flying like a baseball only to come colliding into another Sentinel so hard, the metal legs and appendages were now embedded deep into the Sentinel's back, speared by the body parts of its dead comrade.

In the interim, the H.I.V.E. student Jinx, Toad, and the Blob were charging directly at the Hellion, Roulette as she stood there cockily, with two discs of black, bad-luck hex energy in her hands. With a flourish, Jennifer sent the discs to the ground, and roaring with embarrassment and surprise, Fred fell through the ground and got stuck, unable to extract himself out of the hole that miraculously formed underneath him. Toad then had enough as he took out his wooden bo staff and leapt up high in the air, raising the wooden stick high above his head. Roulette then sent out a powerful black surge of hex-energy at Toad, but surprisingly with great agility, the frog-like Misfit avoided the cloud of crippling power before he struck.

Roulette was sent tumbling as Toad wooden staff struck hard over her mouth, but she grinned as she got up, wiping the blood off her mouth. Toad blinked, taken aback. That strike should have been hard enough to knock her out instantly if not break her neck!

"Hey, what gives, yo?" Toad exclaimed before he looked at his staff and saw why. His wooden rod, which was cared for and polished with great assiduousness when Toad first received it as a present by the Blind Master, was now broken in half and splintered into two useless pieces. Toad gaped as Roulette then powered up another black energy ball.

"Looks like lady luck's on my side, you horrid wart-farm!" she scorned in a derisive tone as she let loose, but Toad managed to leap up and avoid the killing blow before he delivered a flying and powerful hammer kick to the Hellion which the female teen was able to block.

"_Pfft!_ I suppose you'd qualify as a lady, about the same as how Black Widows qualify as loving wives, yo!" snarled Toad as he continued to close in on the Hellion and attempted to bombard the protégée of Emma Frost with a concentrated effort of quick jabs, his fists moving so fast, they were actually whistling in the air. Gasping and realizing that she could be well cornered if this kept up, Roulette then clapped her hands once before Toad had the chance to lay her out flat with a unruly and brutal left hook. To the Misfit's surprise, he was thrown back, soaring several feet before crashing on the ground from the sonic boom that somehow managed to, despite the impossible odds, appear out of thin air just in time to save Jennifer from being subdued. Yet before Roulette could finish off Toad, several surges of pink hex-energy flew in the air in front of her, missing the Hellion narrowly as she dodged, pulling back. Roulette looked up to see a livid, seething Jinx, the pink haired witch.

"Leave him alone, you bleach-blonde tramp!" Jinx snarled. Jennifer raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Well, well, if it isn't one of the mediocre H.I.V.E. rejects who fell in love with a Titan and got crushed because of it? How's it feel to know that you're now probably even in lower standing with your Headmistress for siding with the Titans and Misfits, Jinx?"

"Not as bad as you'll feel when I make you pay with your front teeth what you and the other Hellions did to Shimmer!" snarled Jinx, burning for the need of vengeance and retribution. Roulette continued to bait the witch as she threw several black hex-bolts.

"Too bad you didn't die along with that pint-sized red-haired twerp…what's her name, Selinda? Frankly, if she couldn't cut it as a future villain, it's no surprise she couldn't cut it as a Heartless," Roulette giggled maniacally.

"Bitch!" screamed Jinx as she countered the black energy discs with her own pink hex pulses, both chaos-powers colliding with equal yet opposing polarities and causing several furious explosions of hex-energy. Taken aback from the power of Jinx's magic, Roulette faltered backwards and trying to avoid the backlash of the explosions, which was exactly perfect for Fred, now free from his prison on the ground, rumbled directly at her while Jinx sent more hexbolts.

At the far end of the battlefield, next to an array of desecrated skyscrapers…

"Acid Card!" yelled Tarot, and like magic, a deluge of green, toxic and caustic liquid started to rain down upon Cannonball, Sunspot, Whitelighter, and Mas y Menos. Gasping, Roberto took to the skies, and Sam powered up the gravitational force-field and propelled himself out of range so that none of the acid that fell and splattered upon him would actually make contact with his body. Justin yelped in fright before he managed to orb away and Mas y Menos joined hands before they dashed out of the waterfall.

"I say that it's time we taught this Hellion why it's not wise to mess with us. Don't you agree, dear brother?" Mas asked Menos is Spanish, a meaningful and crafty smile dancing across his face.

"Oh yes, I agree," Menos chuckled, "After all, someone has to give this spoiled brat the spanking she's been begging for…"

With that, Mas y Menos began to swirl around Tarot, the winds picking up, but this time, unlike Pietro, both of them were actually digging handfuls and handfuls of sand and grime, actually taking the time to pick of the gravel and tossing it at the red-haired Hellion. Tarot choked as the air around her grew thick, the grains of rock and dust getting into her eyes, and the sharp shrapnel hammering against her face and skin, making it difficult for her to see and face her opponents. Now seeing that Tarot was fully incapacitated by the unstable min-geysers of sand that were ejecting all around her, Mas y Menos then sped towards the girl, still linking hands and charging with all of the speed they could dare to, going so fast it was as if they were outlines in silver light, like a bullet, before they struck…

Whooooosssh!

Tarot was now actually being carried, forcefully taken off her feet, and she screamed with outrage and annoyance before Mas y Menos then stopped and let Newton's Third Law of Motion take into effect, the force of their run actually sending Tarot flying before she crashed into the wall of a nearby skyscraper, hard enough to cause the stone and brick to crack slightly. Now homicidal and still conscious enough to get on her feet, Marie took another card from her stack of weapons as she called out, "Bullets Card!"

"Oh dear, I do believe we made her angry!" Menos gulped and he and Mas joined hands before speeding off, avoiding the metal BBs that flew out at them, enough to lay waste to a whole house in just minutes and certainly deadly enough to kill two midget speedsters.

"I do believe you're right, brother!" Mas agreed as they speed off.

"Hey, feel the heat, Hellion!" Sunspot yelled as he tried to blast Tarot with a steady stream of black and yellow sunspot energy, but Tarot was not going to be discouraged in the slightest as she used another card, shrieking, "Lightning Card!"

"Sunspot!" gasped Justin as he saw the field now being hammered with shafts of yellow streaks of ionized energy, and Roberto then tried to cancel out a huge blitzkrieg of the attack with a equally ferocious burst of sun radiation, but at the same time, Whitelighter tried to help out…

"En…energy attack!" gasped Whitelighter, and with a shimmer of white sparks, _Roberto's_ energy attack orbed in Justin's hands, leaving nothing to negate and terminate the lightning Tarot sent as it rushed towards the Brazilian X-Man in the sky. Whitelighter had orbed the wrong energy raid.

"Oops," cringed Whitelighter pitifully.

"Whitelighter, you nimrod, you orbed **my** attack!" Sunspot exclaimed with extreme gall as he twisted his body hard to the right and just barely avoided the lightning by several inches, the electricity zooming past his torso.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" Justin hysterically apologized, yelping as he, Mas and Menos strafed madly to avoid the additional shafts, "I'm still having trouble with my powers! I'm new to this hero stuff!"

"When I get clear of this, I'm gonna chew you out so badly! Next time, **don't** help me out!" seethed Sunspot before he managed to managed to grab a hunk of wall from a nearby building and flung it at Tarot with his super-strength.

"I **said** I was sorry!" Whitelighter snapped as he grabbed Mas and Menos and they both orbed out of the way of the incoming slab of stone and metal as it plummeted towards Tarot, but the Hellion then managed to protect herself with a "Shield Card" and encased herself in a bubble of unbreakable force.

"Try and get me now, losers!" Tarot mocked.

"Well, if ya' insist then…I'll happily oblige, ya' backstabbin' heifer!" Cannonball yelled as he charged, launching himself toward the Hellion like a rocket with his fists outstretched, and Tarot apparently wasn't strong enough to maintain a barrier against a powerful missile like Cannonball's gravitational powers…

WHAM!

The force of the blunt strike was so powerful, it shattered the barrier into fragments at once before they faded into thin air, and Tarot only saw a black sea of darkness as the brunt of the intensity left her cold and stunned before she mercifully sank into unconsciousness.

Concurrently, not too far away…

"Fear, fear me!" sneered Empath as he used his manipulative powers on Nightcrawler, Cyborg, and the baby dragon, Lockheed, "You darkest nightmares, your most haunting and terrifying childhood monsters, your most shameful skeletons in your closets….none of it is taboo for me to use against all of you, Titans and X-Geeks! I'm your worst nightmare!"

The Titan Cyborg sank to his metallic knees, clasping his blue, metal hands over his ears and closing his eyes so tightly, a vein was popping out of his forehead as he hollered, "Make it stop! **Get the fuck out of my head, you little bastard!**"

Kurt was actually crying as he hugged his elbows, now lost in doubt as he wept, "Can't someone else fight? I'm…I'm so tired! I can't do this anymore, all the battles, all the wars, and for what? There's no hope! We'll just keep fighting and seeing the people we love die in vain! We can't keep fighting for something that won't happen! There's no hope for peace! Oh, _Mein Gott_, please, I don't want to fight anymore! I give up! I don't have the strength to carry on! Can't someone else fight for us?"

"It won't be long now…" sneered Manuel, but then a small figure bounded at him before delivering her foot solidly into the spot in between the shoulder blades of the Hellion.

"Nice try, Empath, but your emotional-manipulations don't work on a telepath like me!" Daria bragged as she nimbly flipped over Empath, soaring over the Hellion's shoulder before she kicked hard with her right foot behind her, catching Empath directly on the middle of his head and leaving him to stumble and fall on his back into the rocky and pointy ground. Daria back-flipped before she aimed her purple and pink glovatrix, but then a stream of flame cut her off before she could fire a bola missile. Daria turned to see the purple dragon roaring at her wrathfully.

"Lockheed?" Daria gasped, "What's wrong with you?"

Yet the answer to her question then came as Empath further suggested his mental probe into Kurt and Lockheed's anger and rage…

"Kill her…she's the enemy…" Empath sneered, savoring the words of his emotional suggestions.

"Kill her…kill her…she's the enemy, she's one of the Misfits who makes our lives at the Mansion a living hell," Nightcrawler growled in a voice not like his own, his eyes full of hate and blood-wrath, marring his usual gentle and kind features before he and Lockheed charged, roaring at the Delgado sister with fists and teeth set and ready. Daria gasped as she used the ninja-training Blind Master instilled in her since toddler age to cartwheel out of the way of a flying kick from the X-Man and a stream of dragon fire from Lockheed. Cyborg was still trying to fight the effect Empath had over his mind, screaming something hoarse. Since half of Cyborg's brain was bionic, it was only logical that the Titan would be more resistant to the mental suggestions than the others. Still, it didn't make things much better for the young female Misfit.

"Oh geez!" Daria gasped as Nightcrawler began teleporting all over the area, making it difficult for Daria to anticipate the X-Man's next move, all the meanwhile barraging the adolescent Misfit genius with punches and kicks, strong enough to seriously cripple her. Empath then turned his attention to the Titan as he telepathically then stumbled on a gold nugget as he ravaged through the android's mind.

"Too bad your mother can't come and kiss it and make it feel all better," sneered Empath as he used his telepathic powers to then retrieve a hidden fact about the Titan, and Manuel then decided to twist the knife a little harder as he mocked, "Oh, but from what I'm seeing from your feeble mind, I stand corrected. **You don't have a mother!** Of course, any sensible woman who would be willing to sacrifice her kid to become a useless half-robot flat-liner was probably better off dead anyway and - !"

_Wham!_

Empath was so busy bragging that he didn't see the Titan, at the mention of his mother, rush directly at him, renewed with a sense of steely resolve, before he decked Empath with a swift and final uppercut, actually breaking Empath's jaw as the Hellion toppled back lifelessly. Cyborg panted, trying to recover from his mental "excursion" as now free from the Hellion's powers, Kurt and Lockheed snapped back to normal.

"You got served…bee-yotch," muttered Cyborg poisonously.

"Mein Gott!" gasped Nightcrawler, "What am I doing? Daria, I'm so sorry! I was not in control of my mind!"

"As much as I'm happy to hear you say that, will you _please_ get your hands off my neck?" snapped Daria, and Kurt then realized that he was pinning the Delgado adolescent to the ground and was actually in the process of strangling her. Cringing, Kurt jumped back and helped Daria up as she coughed gratefully.

Meanwhile, the Heartless army was being subdued by Rogue, Avalanche, Cyclops, and Iceman, all of them using their powers to cut the former H.I.V.E. students down and prevent them from engulfing the Titans, Misfits, and the other X-Men. After Leomon had informed them that unless they had the right tools, the students would forever live out their lives as Heartless and could not be brought back to normal under any circumstances considering that they lost their hearts. Unlike Selinda who was able to die a merciful death, these H.I.V.E. students would forever be the mind slaves of the Hellfire Club, being empty shells created to kill innocents and destroy and bring forth darkness, with no hope and no future of ever returning back to normal. It was a fate worse than death. Upon hearing this, though there was some argument, the teens all realized that the only thing they could humanely do was deliver the mutated students from this wretched fate and kill them in battle. Not even the H.I.V.E. trio objected to this; as Gizmo put it so eloquently, it was better to die than remain as some butt-kisser of Slade.

"Keep at it! We're winning!" Cyclops yelled strongly as he tore into a Heartless with a wide beam of his optic lasers, cleaving it into two and leaving it to twitch and it went into spasms of death. Iceman was entombing the as many Heartless as he could in ice, instantly sending them into a freezing and numbing cold before they would die from the eventual stoppage of their body functions and heartbeats. Bobby was crying silently with remorse as he froze another creature of darkness that once used to be a teenager just like was several hours ago. Though he knew it was the only way, Iceman still didn't like it.

Avalanche looked at Iceman before he whispered, despite his feelings of resentment to Bobby for exposing his past, "I know how you feel. It doesn't really get any easier, especially when you know these used to be kids like you and me. But we have to do it, Iceman. If the H.I.V.E. students were aware of this and could tell us, they'd let us know that they wouldn't blame us. Living as a Heartless isn't something anyone would want for themselves, and they wouldn't want this kind of fate. We have to set them free from Trigon's evil and Slade's bidding…"

With that, Lance created a tidal wave of Earth before it crashed down on three Heartless and buried them alive under a suffocating mountain of rock, crushed to death instantly. But it was Rogue who was the most effective as, with some borrowed powers from Quicksilver, dashed within the throng of monsters, weaving in and out before transforming every one she could get close without getting struck by their claws. Before their very eyes, Heartless abominations left and right were being turned to lifeless statues of stone, metal, earth, and water (which helped Iceman generate more ice to freeze the army). Any Heartless she could get within range, Rogue transmuted them into lifeless and non-organic matter. Jetstream from high above spotted this.

"Those powers!" the Hellion exclaimed, "I've seen those powers before!"

"That's right, you bastard!" snarled Rogue as she transformed another Heartless to water, killing it instantaneously from having its entire body and inner organs fail and fall apart, with Selinda's stolen abilities, "And guess who gave me her powers as her final, dying wish to protect her brother?"

The Heartless, though lessening, continued to charge at the four soldiers as they kept the gigantic gathering at bay…

At this point, Brother Blood was quite bothered by the way that the Titans and their allies were slowly turning the tide of battle in their favor, even with the aid of the Sentinels to incapacitate and kill the young heroes, so he knew he needed to act now if the Hellfire Club was ever to succeed. The Shaggy Man then raised a finger at the crystal-energy sphere that imprisoned the young, incarnation of Raven and chanted the ever so familiar words, invoking the powers he stole from Raven at the marriage ceremony, "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!_"

With a pop, the sphere shattered in numerous shards, twinkling like diamonds, before Raven, squealing in fright and too terrified to even wail, was held in place by shadow forces of telekinesis before forcefully dragged in the air towards the religious fanatic himself. The ten year-old Raven shivered as she held her white cloak all around her, trying to keep warm, but ruthlessly, Brother Blood seized the front of the child's robes none too gently while he took out a silver dagger from his pocket, the same silver blade that Arella used to join her daughter's hand to Brother Blood's in the temple in Azarath. Trigon didn't even bat an eye at Brother Blood as he watched the battle below with a mixture of amusement and anger, not the slightest bit pleased that the stewards who had helped him escape and conquer Earth were having difficulty standing up to a group of rebels, even though the rebels were vastly outnumbered. Arella, however, was stunned, truly horrified.

"What are you doing?" she cried, her eyes glazed with protective terror, "What are you doing to Raven? Please, don't hurt her! Don't hurt my child!"

Brother Blood simply paid no attention to the priestess' beseeching.

"Quiet, you little, sniveling brat!" Brother Blood snarled at Raven's whimpers, ignoring her pleas to let her go before he raked the razor-sharp edge of the knife across the smooth yet cold hand of the child, and Raven yowled even louder as the red blood began to drip from the deep cut the robed tyrant made. Smiling like the damned, Brother Blood took out a small, thin vial of clear glass from his pocket and collected the blood that dripped from Raven's fingers before he sealed it and hid it for safekeeping in his pocket. Raven then was absolutely hysterical and desperate before her foot shot out and smartly kicked Brother Blood in the knee. The gray-haired man cursed as he hopped around, holding his bruised leg while Raven dashed off into the arms of Arella, sobbing uncontrollably. Arella shushed her daughter, holding her with warmth and care before she spotted Brother Blood now striding towards them with absolute vengeance in his eyes. Arella's heart went cold and numb as she hurriedly protected Raven by placing herself in front of her daughter, trying to placate and calm Brother Blood.

"Don't!" she cried, importunate, "Please, she's just a child! Brother Blood, why did you hurt my daughter? You said that you and the Hellfire Club would protect her from Trigon's evil if I helped you commit the ceremony and bring the Armageddon!"

Brother Blood's face then turned absolutely cold and mercilessly sinister as he clarified, "My dear Arella, I said Raven would be protected by Trigon's judgment…I did not say that Raven would have that same protection from the Hellfire Club and the Thirteenth Order. Oh, and Trigon certainly will not object. He wholeheartedly approved of our little secret plan to exterminate the one thing that can banish him again when the Hellfire Club proposed it to him in the first place."

And with that, before Arella could do anything, Brother Blood stabbed Arella promptly in the heart. The white-robed woman's eyes widened before she slightly convulsed and fell to the ground, her garments now turning red as her life force pooled disgustingly around her. Raven heard screams before she realized they were her own as she wept, shrieking with grief, as she rushed over to her mother's side. Raven was now truly anguished; at that young age, the death of any parent would truly be world-shattering and result in the deepest heartache.

"Mother!" sobbed the child as she gently shook the slowly dying form of Arella, trying to wake her up, "Mother! Mother! Please don't leave me! **Please!**"

Arella's eyes opened just a crack as she saw her daughter weeping over her form, and weakly, Arella managed to murmuring with a small smile of fondness as she laid a bloody hand on Raven's cheek, tarnishing Raven's gray skin with red drops.

"My daughter…" she whispered tearfully, "My little girl…"

Raven then felt her world collapse all around her as Brother Blood roughly grabbed her by the nape of the child's neck and whirled her around so that she was facing him.

"It is finished, you little brat!" snarled Brother Blood with glee as he raised the dagger high over his head, ready to stab the child in the heart…

**Author's Notes: Check back next Friday for the chapter, "You Live, You Die, You Do Some Butt-Kicking In Between" when we finally learn the extent of Trigon's power as he deals with the heroes himself! Can the Titans, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the H.I.V.E. trio handle the demon lord? Will Raven be saved? Will the world be saved? And what is the significance of the vial of blood? Find out some of these answers next week, but until then, read, review, and constructive criticism welcome!**


	10. You Live, You Die, You Do Some ButtKick

**Author's Notes: I'm so sorry I'm late with the chapter! It was so long, but I hope that the wait was well worth it! Battle scenes are REALLY hard to write about, and I needed to make sure I got everything covered! Hope you guys enjoy this final battle with Trigon appropriately called…**

**CHAPTER 10: You Live, You Die, You Do Some Butt-Kicking In Between**

"No!" wailed Raven shrilly before, out of complete and childish desperation, the small girl then craned her head forward and bit down hard on Brother Blood's hand that was pinning her down, her jaw tingling with numbness from the overexertion. There was a faint crack of bone, and howling madly, Brother Blood angrily and hurriedly jerked back his bleeding gargantuan hand, so overcome and surprised with the abruptness of agony that he dropped the silver dagger. Nursing his appendage, the gray-haired, evil fanatic saw that the child, though small, had teeth of iron; his forefinger was showing a white shard of bone through the pooling, cascading blood around the wound marked with teeth puncture holes. Brother Blood then actually saw red, his entire vision blanketed with the hue of homicidal and cruel brutality. He looked up to see the girl scampering away over the rubble and cracks littering the ground, her white cloak flying behind her. Like all scared children, the small incarnation of Raven fled blindly for her life…not that there would be much left of it once the ex-headmaster of H.I.V.E. got his hands on her.

"I'll break her!" hissed Brother Blood with predatory danger as he picked up the ceremonial dagger and pursued after his target, the heavy body of the Shaggy Man creating small tremors as his feet pounded hard on the ground, "I'll break that little whelp's neck when I get my hands on her!"

In his pursuit, Brother Blood completely disregarded Arella.

"My girl…my dau-…daughter…" the priestess labored weakly.

Arella felt her vision blur as she helplessly just laid there on her back on the smoky ground in a pool of her own blood, her chest now numb and ignoring her pleas to rise and fall for precious oxygen as her coughs were dying out of her throat. Her lungs were filling slowly but surely with fluid, and despite the stifling heat of the lava, the priestess still felt cold as the pool of red around her began to thicken and dry. She knew she would die, that she would perish and escape the mortal coil without even saving her daughter, protecting and cherishing her own child and flesh and blood. The marriage, the worry, the pleas, the betrayal for Raven's safety…it was all for naught, and now, nothing could help the Titan.

Arella was going to die, and Raven would be left all alone, no one left to defend her.

Arella was going to die, and she and her daughter would possibly never be reconciled again.

Such thoughts of vain futileness was enough to force Arella to weep quietly during the throes of her death, yet amongst her distorted and hazy eyesight, clouded with the lack of blood and tears, Arella could make out a figure…no, a giant approaching her slowly. Its feet were barely making a whisper on the rocky soil as it then stopped in front of her, its tail blowing softly in the ashy, boiling air from the lava all around them. At first, the Azarath priestess thought it was Brother Blood, coming back from finishing his deed upon her daughter until she could slowly discern that this was a different person, taller, more refined and in a straight, noble posture like a warrior, emanating an earthly yet strong aura not like the aforementioned religious tyrant's…

Grasping at straws and knowing that there was no one else, Arella managed to choke in a beseeching voice to the stranger, raspy and strangled to a mere whisper, "Please…please, whoever you are. Save…save my d-…dau-…daughter."

The looming figure in front of her twitched a bit, as if taken back by surprise before contemplating for a moment. It then knelt down next to the perishing woman and made a small mark on her forehead, its claws burrowing deep into the skin and drawing blood, before it rumbled in a deep voice, "I'll try…"

At the same time, Raven managed to dart inside a large, somewhat spacious crack in the wall and concrete of a wrecked building, and whimpering, she hurriedly ducked inside the crevice in the wall. It was a tight squeeze, but Raven managed to edge her way through to the very end, the rough sides scratching her chest and back. Once at the apex of the rift, Raven crouched down and huddled, drawing the cloak all around her, shivering with absolute terror and fear, her voice soft with sobs and sniveling. The blood was roaring in her ears, and even in the dark shadows of the cleft that covered her, she felt vulnerable, exposed.

Her breath caught in her throat as she heard a footstep, the gravel crackling underneath. Then Raven heard Brother Blood's voice call out teasingly and sickeningly in a sing-song manner, sending chills down her spine.

"Oh Raven…" he called out in a voice full of deadly playfulness, "Come out, come out, wherever you are…"

Raven's heart absolutely stopped as she could see Brother Blood's feet stop at the fault she was hiding in, and she held her breath, her hands over her mouth, trembling for a second, then two. To her absolute dread, Brother Blood's face then knelt down and peered into the crack, instantly spotting Raven. Brother Blood grinned sadistically, and the way that his teeth and smile spread horizontally across his face could have put the smile of the Joker to shame as the Shaggy Man's eyes simply glittered with joy, the whites showing all around. He simply looked horrifying, and Raven abandoned all resolve as she screamed. With a simple grunt, Brother Blood actually ripped the entire slab of concrete and stone and metal surrounding Raven like flimsy paper, fragments of rock and dust dropping down like rain. Now Raven was truly at risk with no where to hide as Brother Blood cornered the girl of the prophecy at last, one hand tightly clenched around the silver dagger he was carrying.

"Hide and seek is over, you brat," the religious tyrant hissed as he was about to kill Raven, "And I win!"

Raven screamed as she covered her head with her hands, helplessly awaiting the death blow.

But to Brother Blood's surprise, something huge and massive knocked him back solidly, actually causing some pain, and despite the religious tyrant's increased strength and invulnerability to his new body, he was amazed that something or someone could actually throw him off. Brother Blood gave out a cry of cheated, surprised rage as he flew back twenty feet before he crashed hard against the sharp rocks and gravel, his back and head cut and bleeding. Enraged and infuriated, the Shaggy Man looked up to see a familiar, tall figure pick up the petrified, wailing child. Raven's sobs then lessened as she heard a deep yet somewhat gentle and non-threatening voice hush her, whispering, "Shhhhh, shhhhhh, it's OK, kid. It's OK, you're safe now."

"**YOU!**" snarled Brother Blood upon recognizing the alleged savior.

"Who…who are you?" whimpered the girl as she looked up into a pair of deep, blue eyes and yellow fur as the figure held her firmly, cradling her in the crook of one, muscular arm. Leomon then looked down at her, contemplating, before he answered.

"I am a friend," Leomon said simply.

"Trigon!" roared Brother Blood in warning and vehemence, calling out to the demon who was busy observing the fights between the X-Men, the Misfits, the Titans, the Sentinels, the Heartless, and the Hellions, "Your daughter is escaping! The portal is being rescued by the lion! Demon Lord of Azarath and of countless worlds, help the Hellfire Club kill your daughter! Help us maintain the supremacy of Trigon the Terrible on this world! Help me kill off that brat of yours!"

Trigon was instantly not pleased as he actually turned his head in alarm, nearly jumping off his throne, as he fixed all four of his glowing red eyes upon Brother Blood and the retreating figure of the muscular lion. Only outrage, fury, shock, and fear were the emotions that were coursing through his bloodstreams. What frightened him the most was that though Trigon the Terrible was clearly omnipresent and omnipotent where not a single thing in this mortal coil called Earth could escape him, where no thought or human rationale could escape his knowledge and being (except the Hellions and Hellfire Club, though that would soon be privy for change soon). He could read and sense the minds of the heroes in the battle (though whatever remnants of Raven's power made his view of their souls and beings fuzzy and obscured rather than crystal-clear). Here, in both Azarath and Earth, he was unstoppable, indomitable, everywhere.

So imagine Trigon's surprise when he discovered to his surprise that he could not sense Leomon's presence at all, could not even discern his soul during the chaotic city of doom and destruction. And the fact that this wild-card had his formerly-incarcerated daughter made the demon all the more eager and furiously determined to make sure that the portal could never be a threat to him ever again.

"**_Insolent lion wretch!_**" Trigon roared before his two antlers atop his mane of white hair began to glow in a deep, vibrant red, invoking the powers given to him by the Organization and the Thirteenth Order, "**_By the command of Trigon the Terrible and the Thirteenth Order, arise Heartless! ARISE!_**"

And to Leomon's shock, the ground all around him started to quake and tremble before the ground actually split asunder, exposing huge, yawning breaches and fissures in the ground, filled with magma and molten rock. And Raven screamed shrilly again as she and the lion warrior saw beings of fire bearing the red and black symbol of the crossed out heart on their chests, exactly like the one Slade summoned back at Jump City Bay. Leomon cursed under his breath. These were fire Heartless. Trigon must have been given powers to summon the creatures of evil exactly as Slade had been able to.

Raven screamed again as the fire Heartless started to advance towards them, roaring and gurgling maliciously, as the lion lost his patience and snapped at the cowering child, "Damn it, kid, will you quit screaming? You're going to blow my ears out!"

Yet Raven didn't flinch from the shout as she buried her face into the soft fur of the digital warrior, too scared to look at the army about to incinerate them.

"Please, don't let me go! Don't let my father take me!" Raven cried, her eyes filled with tears as she cuddled to the warrior's chest for protection. Leomon managed to give her a brief but odd look out of the corner of his eye as he powered up his hand for a Fist of the Beast King attack on the fire demons.

"I won't, kid," he whispered soothingly, as soothingly as one could be while being surrounded by a battalion of fire demons summoned by a demon lord.

"**_GAIA…FIST OF THE BEAST KING!_**" Leomon bellowed courageously before he let loose his ki attack on a group of abominations that were advancing steadily towards him, obliterating them instantaneously and leaving a wide enough gap for him to dash off with the small incarnation of Raven in his arms.

The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

Meanwhile, at the battlefields, the kids heard the identifiable roar of the unique attack…

"That voice!" gasped Boom-Boom, recognizing it at once as she made another plasma time-bomb the size of a wrecking ball before she gave it to Cyborg to throw at a nearby Sentinel, striking it dead center it its chest, "I recognize that voice!"

So did the other heroes as they continued fighting for their lives.

"What…what is Trigon doing?" gasped Dragonfly as she and the others saw Trigon's head become engulfed by a halo of red light, as red and harsh as fresh blood. In the air with a good view of the city all around her, Bumblebee then looked down before she spotted what looked like…

"Oh my God!" she gasped as she relayed her findings to her communicator, "It's Brother Blood! And he's chasing Raven! And Trigon's helping Blood by summoning an army of fire Heartless!"

"Brother Blood?" gasped Menos in Spanish.

"And Raven? Is she safe! We gotta help her!" Cannonball yelled out before he and Mammoth tackled a Sentinel together, with Mammoth ripping off the robot's leg, and the X-Man laying the killer android with a single charge across the lifeless face.

"No we can't! Leomon has Raven!" Bumblebee emphasized, bringing a downcast feeling of doom in everyone else's hearts, already guessing the worst.

"Damn it! That overgrown, two-faced furball has Raven! I swear, when this is all over with, I'm gonna rip his head off, stuff it, and hang it as a trophy in the Titans' living room!" Cyborg growled before his sonic cannon managed to fire a round into a now recovered and conscious Beef, knocking the Hellion back before he could try to kill Beast Boy and Xi with a fallen Sentinel's robotic arm and hand as a club.

"We can't! We still have to take care of the Hellions, not to mention these dumb Sentinels and the Heartless students!" Quicksilver yelled as he managed to create another whirlwind to temporarily blind and hold the Sentinel immobile and prisoner before the Titan Speedy managed to fire a incapacitating acid arrow directly into one of its palm cannons with incredible accuracy, instantly melting the hole on contact and clogging the laser cannon.

"Don't worry, Pietro! We're just about finished with the Heartless! God help 'em all, but we managed to wipe them all out! Slade doesn't have any more of the H.I.V.E. students to control anymore!" Lance yelled back, his response encouraging, as he created a tremor that cracked the very ground into two, sending several Heartless tumbling into the pool of lava at the bottom of the crevice while Rogue took care of the last Heartless creatures by transforming their bodies into useless puddles of water, the entire field now a marshy swamp, slowly heated from the lava all around them.

"That's fine with me! Let's help the others finish off the Sentinels and stop Slade and the Hellions!" Iceman yelled, now filled with a renewed sense of hope, before he and Cyclops let loose on the still abundant number of towering, mutant-hunting androids that were trying to kill the rest of the heroes using a combination of missiles, laser blasts, and bullets, causing many of the teens to scatter. Even with the combined efforts of Multiple, Boom-Boom, Starfire, Bumblebee, Quicksilver, Magma, Speedy, Gambit and Mammoth were not enough to destroy all of the robots, and clearly, the behemoths had the edge of the battle as three-fourths of the original army were still fully functional despite taking the multiple beatings. Thus, more assistance would be needed.

Iceman then used his power to ice the ground underneath one of the Sentinels that was lumbering directly towards Gambit and Mammoth, ready to crush the two of them despite the rubble and energy cards Mammoth and Remy were hurling at its face. Upon contact with the frictionless patch of terrain, the Sentinel wildly and valiantly fought to maintain its balance, its movements jerky and wild, but Cyclops then gave it a powerful optic blast, nudging the robot just right on the leg and causing the Sentinel to topple onto its back with a resounding crash. Kitty was nearby, watching the scene and waiting for the right moment from a small hill slightly above and right next to the robot.

"Now, Shadowcat!" Iceman yelled, and acting instinctively, the X-Girl took an acrobatic leap off the precipice and jumped, flying in the air with her ponytail fluttering madly behind her head before she dove and phased gently into the heart of the stunned Sentinel, dead center in its chest. With a dying hiss and crackle, the Sentinel died, each and every one of its electronic components and lights going black with inactivity.

Meanwhile, Mammoth was not alongside the other Titans, X-Men, Misfits, and Mammoth in fighting the Sentinels and for good reason. Hovering madly on his mechanical glider wings and rocket pack, the H.I.V.E. inventor hastened urgently, tearing through the skies over the seemingly infinite sea of lava, the red, thick and noxious liquid bubbling and popping madly. Activating the scanner attached to the sleeve of his costume, Gizmo tried to detect any huge anomalies in the ocean of magma, hoping he could find what he was looking for before it was too late, and despite Piotr's mutant powers, being dunked into a sea of molten rock was **not** a fun place to be for a long time. As if on cue, Gizmo's scanner then beeped madly as it located a huge unnatural form, too large and bulky and odd-shaped to be a rock of any sort, and with the knowledge of the emergency, Gizmo soared towards the location…

In the meantime, several of the Sentinels then wisely chose the option of using their rocket thrusters at the soles of their feet, and with such a vast distance between them and the mutants and Titans and H.I.V.E. students on the ground, the heroes realized that the robots made their fight a lot more arduous and difficult as most of their energy attacks were not strong enough to reach the Sentinels a quarter mile in the sky, yet the Sentinels obviously had no difficulty nor inconvenience as they all let loose upon the group below.

"You guys, watch out!" yelled Avalanche as he then terra-formed the earth underneath to form a wave of rock to fly overhead and quickly settle above the heads of his allies, shielding them from the heat discharges. Unfortunately, the earth umbrella was not enough to block all of the attacks the Sentinels rained down.

"Yeow!" Quicksilver cried as he dashed in between the metal spears and the laser blasts that exploded too close for comfort on the floor next to him, "These guys aren't fighting fair! We can't touch them when they're **that** high above us!"

"Dude, then no reason **we** should either! Xi, think you can handle Mr. Steroids by yourself with Bezerker?" Beast Boy called out.

"We'll be fine! Just do what you have to! They could use the assistance more than we could!" Xi called out as he took a flying leap and managed to deliver an axel-kick on the left side of Beef's face while Ray then dispensed a huge ball of electricity into the Hellion's gut. Beast Boy nodded before he transformed into a hummingbird and flew with haste towards the Sentinels high in the sky. With such a small organic life-form, the Sentinels' scanners and ultraviolet detectors didn't even register the Titan as a threat as the green changeling flew behind two of the robots before transforming into something much, _much_ larger.

"_Hasta la vista_, ugly!" the boy mocked in a pseudo-Schwarzenegger impression and the two Sentinels' last image they could process was turning around only to see a massive green thirty-five ton brontosaurus dinosaur landing on them heavily, breaking them severely at once upon impact before they and the dinosaur on top of them crashed to the ground. The long-necked dinosaur grunted at the mess of burnt scalding metal and sparking electronics that were already on fire before Beast Boy transformed back into his human form, squealing in pain as he danced off the wreckage and painfully hopped all over the ground with his feet smoking heavily. Apparently, since he was standing on the pile of burning robot parts, it wasn't much of a surprise that the Titan's feet were burning just from standing upon them.

"Ow, ow, ow! Hot foot, hot foot, **hot foot**!" he hollered in pain as he hurriedly sat down and tried to snuff out the flames on his boots by swatting them with his gloved hand.

Gambit, Sunspot, and Mammoth then decided to team up against one of the Sentinels that Beast Boy had missed. Gambit grinned as the X-Man then spotted the giant head of a Sentinel that Bumblebee had destroyed earlier, and realizing its value as a potential projectile, the Cajun laid a hand on the smooth yet burnt surface of the metal, and instantly, the head began to shimmer as the potential energy converted into kinetic energy.

"It's all yours, _mon ami_!" Gambit cheered, and Mammoth grinned finally as he easily grabbed the Sentinel's head and began to swing it in a circular motion around and around, building up steam and speed, the hunk of glowing metal a red blur before Mammoth grunted and let loose at the other Sentinel in the sky.

"Hey, dumb-ass! **Catch this!**" yelled the H.I.V.E. student right before the charged head of the robot flew straight and true directly at the goliath. Thanks to its split-second A.I. circuitry, the active robot then aimed its laser cannons at the glowing head before firing.

**Kaa-wwhhhooooooommmm!**

Though the Sentinel was able to destroy the head on time, the force of the kinetic explosion was enough to stun the killer robot as the pressure from the blast pushed it roughly in the air, shaking it up a bit. And that moment was all Roberto needed.

"Good one, Mammoth!" Sunspot yelled as he flew with haste towards the recovering goliath and dove right into the robot's chest, cutting through the metal like a hot knife through butter, easily burrowing his way through the armor and hide of the machine. Tearing his way through like a mole, Sunspot then managed to see the main power cell that were fueling the android, glowing dangerously with electricity and a liquefied mixture of hydrogen and natural gas. Sunspot lost no time as he reached out and gripped the large, bulky object which was the size of a cross-town bus.

"Uuuurrrrraaaaaaahhhhh!" roared Roberto as he ripped the heart and robotic core out of the Sentinel's chest, and without even pausing from the effort, the radiating mutant teen then fought his way out of the monster's back. With a loud crashing noise, the Brazilian mutant managed to tear and pluck the battery out of the killer, electronic mutant hunter, and Sunspot watched with some satisfaction at the machine dying and plummeting to the lava below in a dead heap without its power source. Roberto then had another brilliant idea of inspiration hit him as he then threw the complex cell at another Sentinel, hurling it powerfully through the air, before he gave it a powerful shot of his sunspot beams. Since the container was filled with natural and hydrogen gas, a mixture that volatile would surely create a devastating explosion when in contact with an appropriate heat source. And to Roberto's satisfaction, it did.

**_KA-BOOOOOOMMM!_**

"And wave bye-bye to Mr. Giant-Killer-Robot!" cheered Sunspot as he watched the damaged Sentinel plunge, nose-diving towards another pool of lava before succumbing to a fate of melted metal.

At the same time, the Hellion Bevatron managed to then let loose a powerful electrical attack at Quinn, but Forge then leapt right in front of the eleven year-old Misfit and took the brunt of the attack head-on without even screaming. Bevatron smirked, thinking he succeeded in killing Forge. So imagine the Hellion's surprise when the electrical blasts bounced off the inventor and struck right back at the Hellfire teenager, nearly shocking him into unconsciousness.

"What the hell?" snarled the Hellion murderously as he glared at Forge who was smiling with a smug expression.

"Please, us X-Men are better tacticians than you think," Forge bragged with little humbleness, indicating the special, shiny, silver-looking suit he was donning, "Why do you think I was chosen to fight you? The special suit me and Cyborg built is electrically resistant, and it'll send all energy pulses you throw at me back, leaving me unhurt and unharmed. Totally far out when we came up with it, and it was hilariously groovy to see that look on your face when you got your attack reflected back!"

"In a minute, I'm gonna rip out your face, X-Geek!" snarled Bevatron but before he could move, Quinn then fired several capsules from her glovatrix and coated the Hellion teen with a layer of a familiar dust. To Bevatron's horror, his mutant power stopped functioning immediately; he wasn't even able to build up enough for a static charge.

"Depends on how well you can fight physically without your powers," Quinn smiled innocently enough, "We had enough silicone dust leftover from our last fight with Live Wire. And the only thing that can remove that stuff is water…"

"And that's my cue!" exclaimed a voice behind, and the Hellion whirled around to see a rather unwelcome sight.

"Hey, Bevatron! I still owe you one from the fight we had last time!" Aqualad called out, smirking and the Hellion could only scream right before the considerably-sized waterspout descended upon him. Since Rogue had managed to transform a lot of the Heartless army into water, a good portion of the rocky, barren field was like a swamp, full of puddles that were slightly steaming from the heat of the ground. And the marshy area was perfect as ammunition for the Atlantian to douse the Hellion with, especially since it is common knowledge that electricity and water do not mix well…

"Yaaarrrrgggghhhh!" screamed Bevatron as his body, already generating electrical energy in each fiber of his body, lost control the minute Aqualad immersed him into the waterspout, and the teenager had no choice but to bear the brunt of the power surge and losing control as his body exploded painfully, leaving him smoking and tingling, his nerves charred and frayed, when the water ceased its relentlessness.

"Damn you, you saltwater pretty-boy!" Bevatron cursed with malice.

That was the last thing Bevatron was able to say right before Aqualad furiously knocked him out with a hearty hook, decking him across the face.

Meanwhile, Nightcrawler and Silkie then decided to give a nearby, airborne Sentinel a little surprise as Kurt carefully held the mutant silkworm in his hands before teleporting towards the robot in the skies. Since the Sentinel was only a quarter of a mile high in the air, the blue-furred X-Man was able to reach it easily as he reappeared onto the back of the Sentinel's neck.

"Go for it, Silkie!" Kurt encouraged, nearly shouting as he released the mutated worm on the back of the Sentinel's exposed neck. Silkie gleefully made curdling noises before he set himself upon the metal and armor, chewing and eating madly with a flourishing relish. The Sentinel, sensing something was wrong, immediately tried to reach backwards and swat the two of its neck, but Nightcrawler wisely teleported in a puff of brimstone to the very apex of the robot's head while Silkie managed to burrow past the titanium in several seconds and eat his way into the inner mechanisms of the mutant-exterminator. Now Silkie had the ability to digest anything tangible with no repercussions to his own stomach, whether it be acid, wood, rock…or metal and complex electronic machinery. And Silkie was like the proverbial child locked inside a candy store. With a squeal, Silkie immediately started biting and devouring anything he could reach, the sophisticated engines and power cells inside the Sentinel's core vanishing at an astonishing rate.

Nightcrawler smiled with extreme satisfaction as the Sentinel started wildly and uncontrollably jerking madly in spasms, its eyes rotating madly like out-of-control Ferris wheels while little by little, the lights from its generators and energy weapons died, snuffing out as they went black and dead, giving off smoke and hissing. With a groan, the gigantic robot started to buckle as Silkie then emerge, chewing a hole out of the top of the Sentinel's head next to Kurt. The blue-furred X-Man grinned as he picked up Silkie carefully.

"_Mein Gott!_ You have some appetite, _herr_ Silkie!" Nightcrawler chortled as he and the Titan's pet worm teleported out of danger, leaving the lifeless Sentinel to collapse on the ground, its internal organs and heart thoroughly destroyed and ruined thanks to a single mutant silkworm.

At the same time, there was another group of four Sentinels, flying high in the red, ashy sky and raining down missiles and lasers upon the mutants, Titans, and H.I.V.E. students, and Speedy knew that this was a dire emergency as he took out a special arrow given to him thanks to the collective geniuses of Forge and Trinity. At the same time, the four Sentinels decided to try an amalgamated and cohesive raid as all four of them fired a salvo of explosive missiles, each one capable of destroying a skyscraper and reducing it to rubble in minutes. Yet Mas y Menos were no pushovers as they then used their super-speed to soar high into the sky, literally defying the laws of gravity, before they ran circles around the bombardment, going as fast as they could, their leg muscles screaming in fatigue from the effort.

"Let's just hope this works!" Menos gasped in his native tongue.

"In a minute, we'll either know or won't be able to care!" Mas added as a weak joke before, to their extreme gratitude, the whirlwinds the twin speedsters invoked was enough to generate a cyclone of powerful winds that encapsulated the rockets and weakened them from their trajectory enough for the two members of Titans East to veer away from the others.

"Thanks, you two! Now get clear and shield your eyes, everyone! This antimatter arrow will vaporize all of us if we're not careful! **_Everyone, get clear!_**"

"How much of this matter of anti are you using, Friend Speedy?" shouted Starfire as she hurled another starbolt at a Sentinel above before it could impale her with one of its metal shafts.

"Forge and Trinity gave me a quarter-gram for this baby!" the archer declared.

"Uh…just **_how_** much damage will a quarter-gram of antimatter do?" Aqualad asked upon overhearing this, his eye twitching ever so slightly.

"It'll vaporize anything within a half-mile radius!" Forge answered, overhearing the Atlantian, as he used a laser cannon he designed to fire several blasts upon a Heartless Cyclops and Rogue somehow missed during their battle while Xi then cleanly decapitated it with his katana.

"_Half_-mile? But…but the Sentinels are only a **quarter-mile** above us, Speedy!" Daria gasped as she looked at the logistics on her pink scanner.

"Which is why I have to aim past the Sentinels and shoot it so that the antimatter explodes high enough behind to take **them** out **without** hurting us! Everyone, cross your fingers and hope this works!" Speedy said, knowing the risks he was taking, sweat beading on his brow, before he aimed with the greatest care he could and let loose. In a display of archery that would have made the Green Arrow swell with pride, the shaft containing the capsule of antimatter flew, swift and sure, narrowly missing the large moving bodies as it flew past them and ascended higher and higher into the sky. A full half-minute had passed as Starfire, Multiple and Gambit tried to keep the Sentinels at bay, and for a moment, Speedy thought he failed until he saw a faint flash.

"Take cover!" he yelled on his communicator as everyone averted their gaze from the sky before the four Sentinels were engulfed in an overwhelming orb of light.

**_KAAAAA-WWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!_**

The blast was so powerful, the air actually vibrated from the impact as anything within the explosion succumbed and vaporized into nothingness, the antimatter eliminating and neutralizing any matter instantly.

"Cool! It worked!" cheered Multiple, "The Sentinels are gone! Speedy, you took out four Sentinels in one hit! That is so cool!"

"It's all in a day of the life of Speedy, the Green Arrow's protégé!" bragged the Titan East member proudly.

"More like Green Arrow's _charity case_," snorted Aqualad with disdain and sarcasm, and Speedy's right temple throbbed a bit as he hissed out of the corner of his mouth surreptitiously.

"Just wait 'til there's no witnesses, Aqua-jerk…"

At the same time, Mas y Menos were rushing towards the Hellion Beef who was busy fighting with Xi, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler, the missiles still within their grasp. Mas then urgently screeched on his Titan communicator.

"Miss Shadowcat!" Mas yelled in his communicator as he and his brother kept guiding the missiles in the air, "Keep Beef still! Help us keep Mr. Beef standing still!"

Kitty, even though she couldn't really fluently understand Spanish, was able to decipher her name and Beef's and when she looked at what the twin speedsters were doing with the missiles, the pony-tailed X-Girl then knew in an instant what they were trying to achieve as she acted at once, merging into the terrain while Xi distracted Beef with a few ninja stars…

"Hey! What the hell?" roared Beef, but it was too late as Shadowcat firmly phased the Hellion into the ground, embedding Beef's feet and trapping his legs into the hardened earth with no chance of being able to pull himself free quickly. Shadowcat and Xi then managed to grab onto Nightcrawler, and the three of them teleported away at a far distance as Mas y Menos then approached.

"Special delivery, jackass!" Mas y Menos cheered in Spanish as Beef looked up to see the missiles converging downwards on his head.

"Oh shit!" gasped the Hellion, but Roulette was quicker as she let loose a white hexbolt.

"Like that's going to happen, you little, annoying, whiny, hyperactive Chihuahuas!" she snarled, and thanks to the good-luck energy, the missiles died, becoming duds and nonfunctional instantly, leaving Beef safe as they hit the ground heavily without even detonating. Beef sneered at the twin speedsters as he tried to yank his feet out of the rock trapping him.

"Hah! Looks like your little ploy failed, Titans! And I'm gonna enjoy ripping you little midgets to pieces when I get my hands on you!" Beef snarled but then Colossus, covered with a flimsy and thin layer of dried lava and still in his metal mode then rushed in and solidly knocked out the Hellion with a tremendous uppercut to the jaw, causing the strong man to topple backwards, unconscious.

"And I enjoyed seeing that the Hellfire Club will have to provide you a new set of teeth," spat Piotr. Jetstream screamed with cheated gall and outrage as he spied Colossus on the scene.

"How the hell did you come back?" Haroun scowled hatefully, "I dumped you in a pool of lava! No one can survive that! You're supposed to be dead! **You're supposed to be dead!**"

Colossus raised an eyebrow at the remark as he couldn't help but comment rather flippantly, "Yes, we do get that a lot, but unfortunately for you Hellions, it really never comes true for us X-Men anyway."

"And the Metal Man's armor was enough to hold him off for a while until I could find him with my handy scanner and pull him out with my handy grappling hook, ya' crack-whore!" sneered Gizmo.

Jetstream then had enough as he sped towards them, ready to pound them into the ground, but Bumblebee then intervened, diving directly above the Hellion where he could not see her.

"Oh no, you don't!" Bumblebee yelled as she then jammed both of her stingers set at the highest intensity she could ever dare to muster into Jetstream's back, the yellow energy coursing through his body…and his robotic parts. Jetstream choked as his body started to twitch madly and smolder, heavily damaged as he shakily crashed to the ground.

"I'm not down and out yet, X-Geeks!" hissed Jetstream as he erratically and unsteadily got up, but Toad then got into the confrontation, adding in his own strike.

"Yo, you are now, Jetstream!" snapped the frog-like mutant as he delivered a powerful kick into Jetstream's chest, sending him flying only to crash into a wall of stone and through it, leaving a gaping hole as Haroun then lost consciousness from the impact of the collision. Roulette was livid as she then let loose several black hex-bolts which whizzed by the heroes narrowly as they managed to barely dodge them.

"I'll deal with you annoying losers personally!" Jennifer barked, but Menos just grinned at the blond probability-manipulator, "You might be able to take out Beef and Jetstream, but I'm more than a match for all eight of you goody-goodies!"

But Menos then dropped the bombshell as he smiled, showing all of his teeth, without any fear.

"Oh, we already knew you'd save Beef," Menos smirked in his native tongue, "We just sent those missiles on Beef just to get your attention and keep you distracted for Rogue to move in…"

"Huh?" Jennifer asked dumbly, stunned as the foreign dialogue went over her head, but it was too late for Roulette to perform anything defensive as a familiar, ungloved hand with black nail polish grabbed her face from behind, and the female student of the Hellfire Club screamed before she lost consciousness, her life force and strength draining from her.

"If it wasn't for my good nature, I'd drain ya' till you're dry and dead, you bleach-blonde witch, after what you did to those H.I.V.E. students," Rogue spat at the unconscious form before she turned to Gizmo, "Thanks for getting Colossus outta there, Giz."

Gizmo snorted as he scoffed, "Might as well since Metal Meathead over here doesn't have the brains to get himself out of his own mess."

At the same time, Slade was summoning two streams of deadly demonic fire in his hands, the Mark of Scath burning brightly on the forehead of his mask, ready to kill Robin, Wavedancer, and X23 who were now all severely beaten and quite injured as Slade still managed to defeat them all rather sadistically and brutally. Since they were really of no use to him, Slade felt this was as good as a time as any to finish it.

"It is done," he intoned, ready to incinerate all three of the brawlers, but then gasped as a cold sensation washed over him, none like any other force Slade had ever endured. The cold aura gripped him, locking his hands and limbs in place, preventing the powers he was given by Trigon to come about and kill Robin, Althea, and Rina. Twitching and trying to struggle madly, Slade turned to see Jean, the red-haired protégé of Charles Xavier wearing a strange, metal cap over her head hovering in the air with a determined and calculating look of grim determination on her face along with the chubby, timid boy known as Whitelighter.

"Whitelighter, heal Robin and the others! I'll take care of Slade and hold him back! Hurry!"

Justin nodded before he dashed towards Robin and Althea and bathed the two of them with his sunlight radiating from his hands, erasing their lacerations and broken bones in seconds. Slade was now angry as he tried to fight against the telepathic hold on him.

"You really think you have the strength and power to fight me, Ms. Grey?" Slade hissed rancorously, "I find it quite hard to believe to see you do such a desperate act. Not even your beloved Professor could easily fight me, and he was certainly more impressive over a prissy, stuck-up spoiled brat such as yourself."

"You've dealt with a telepath before, Slade…" Jean said in a cold voice before she utilized her telepathy and telekinesis by bringing her hands to her temples, her mutant abilities amplified by more than ten-fold thanks to the helmet on her head, "But let's see how well you can adapt to a telepath with **_Cerebro's_** help!"

Slade gasped as the telepathic assault struck him, much more agonizing that Xavier's mental probes. Indeed, when they arrived in Jump City to help the Titans, the Professor always had a spare helmet linked directly to the portable cache of Cerebro's computer systems inside that could act as a substitute emulator. And thankfully, before they rushed to the battlefield with Trigon, Trinity and Forge managed to give the portable helmet of Cerebro a powerful boost, further than Jean had ever dared to do before but to save the Professor's life and life on Earth in general, Jean was more than willing.

"Yaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!" howled Slade as Jean attacked him in his psyche while suspending the assassin in the air with her telekinesis, tearing whatever she could reach to pieces rather violently and maliciously, not even giving Slade an inch to recover and try to exhibit his brainpower to fight her. Jean then telepathically commanded to Scarlet Witch, Jinx, and Rogue who were nearby.

_Jinx, Wanda, Rogue, do it now! **Hurry!**_

Raising her arms over her head, Scarlet Witch summoned so much energy in her hands, it actually left her a little dizzy before she flung it at Slade with all of her might. Jinx screamed with rage and the need for vengeance as she caused a colossal and immense pink ball of chaos-magic, wavering dangerously in her palms before she drew back her arm and pitched it like a baseball, her aim sound and true. Rogue then tried her hardest to utilize Roulette's abilities she stole from the Hellion, her eyes shut in concentration, before she summoned a black disc of bad-luck energy in between her hands the size of a manhole cover before the X-Girl then mentally and pushed the disc towards the incapacitated Slade with her of her superhuman strength.

"Take this, Slade!" Jinx, Scarlet Witch, and Rogue all screamed in unison.

Like a beautiful and stunning display of fireworks, the pink, blue, and black hex-bolts soared, swift and sure, revolving around each other in the air before they combined into a single, unified surge of white, hot, dangerous, crippling blast, now a nova of chaos force grown in size by three-fold. Behind his mask, Slade's eye widened in fear. Here, he was exposed, completely vulnerable, and the red-haired witch was still using all of her mental energy to prevent him from using his powers. One hex-blast, he may be able to withstand, but a three-pronged hexbolt attack was not as likely. And since he heard rumors that **one **of Wanda's hexes was strong enough to suppress the powers of Magneto and Darkseid from Apokolips, it may truly be likely this effect would be crippling, especially since Jinx and Roulette's attacks were just as powerful. Only one phrase managed to escape his lips before all three energy attacks from Jinx, Wanda, and Rogue hit him with full force.

"I can't lose now…"

**_KAAA-SSSHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!_**

Whitelighter, who was finishing healing the crippling injuries Robin, X23, and Wavedancer had received, gasped out loud as he marveled with awe and shock, "Whoa! Look at Slade!"

Slade collapsed to the ground, the black, blue, and pink energies of the hexes flowing eagerly through his ravaged body, leaving him weak, drained…and powerless.

"No!" Slade gasped, disbelieving it, but finding that he could no longer invoke the demonic fire that Trigon had bequeathed to him, and to add further insult to injury, his body was sluggish, responsive, and the hexes had damaged his body so intensely that even his impressive brain was no longer as effective and cunning as it was before. Slade, in short, was greatly impaired, physically and power-wise. And the Boy Wonder saw their only chance as he sprang to action.

"**NOW!**" yelled Robin and at once, without any misgiving or hesitation, X23, Wavedancer, and Robin set themselves upon Slade with as much ferocity and savageness they could muster. Slade, now thoroughly hurt by the tri-hexbolt attack, was severely weakened and could only barely manage to block some of their martial attacks, his brain lethargic and languid. Which meant the Titan, the Misfit, and the X-Man were able to give Slade the beating he had been asking for so long without having the assassin provide an impenetrable defense…

""Hiya! Hut! Take that! Yaaah! Hup! And this! Hee-yah! And two more!"

The only noises that escaped that battlefield were the grunts and battle cries along with the surprised yelps of pain from Slade as Rina, Althea, and Robin kept pummeling him with powerful kicks and punches. Robin, in the center of the trio, let Slade have it with two swift punches and a palm-strike to the assassin's sternum in the center of the rib cage before adding, with his fingers extended, to the sensitive pressure point in Slade's gut. Slade tried to not double over in pain before he deftly caught Robin's hand before it could reach the pressure point on his collarbone, intending to break the masked teen's arm with a deft twist. However, before Slade had a chance to, Wavedancer rushed in on Robin's left with a swift haymaker, catching Slade full in the face and with enough force to crack his mask. Stunned, Slade released

his hold on Robin's arm as Wavedancer then screamed with battle fury before she forcefully delivered her boot into Slade's stomach, adding more pain to the agony Slade got from Robin's punches. Slade became murderous as he tried to kick Wavedancer's head with enough strength to break her neck, but the female ninja simply blocked and caught Slade's foot before it could touch her before bringing her elbow down hard on Slade's tibia bone. There was a soft but satisfying crack, and Slade roared with pain which enabled Rina to perform her assault while Robin pushed Slade away from Althea a bit with a powerful shove with a shoulder-tackle. X23's arms and legs flew so fast, they were mere blurs. Using the foot with the adamantium claw, Rina delivered a hitch-kick towards Slade's jaw, but the assassin blocked it, anticipating the move. Undaunted, Rina smoothly moved into a sweep-kick, handstand-kick combination and though Slade blocked both of the attacks, the second time caught him painfully in the forearm, a little off from what he intended and throwing Slade off, his biggest mistake. Seeing this, the female clone of Logan took a flying forward leap with her claws out.

_Slash!_

Slade, though he did not scream, gave out a strangled cry as he gingerly held his bleeding side where X23 drove her claws through, hissing with vengeance as he snarled, "You little…"

But that was enough for Robin and Althea to jump in and deliver a torrential onslaught of rabbit punches, swift and powerful enough to form holes concrete into Slade's stomach as X23 then grabbed Slade's arms and pinned them behind his back, leaving Slade no chance to black the strikes as his organs and ribcage was brutally ruined before X23, Robin, and Wavedancer then launched Slade into the air with a respective judo throw, an axe-kick, and a twirling, airborne uppercut before, in beautiful and coordinated unanimity, all three of the teens then drew back their fists and punched the same spot in Slade's chest right before he dropped back to the ground.

**POW!**

Slade cried out in pain as he was sent flying, crashing into the ground, now being the one who was severely beaten and broken, close to actual death. He glared with absolute hate and anger at Robin, Althea, and Rina.

"Ready for some more, or do you need to go call on your master's help like the pathetic servant you are?" X23 growled, showing her claws. Slade's eye then gleamed cunningly enough, as if he anticipated this setback.

"Just for the record…I am nobody's servant," and with that, Slade dashed off, leaving behind Trigon and the battle.

"He's running away! He's just saving his own skin!" growled Robin, about to follow the masked man, but Althea solidly grabbed Robin by the shoulder as she pointed to the battlefield where Trigon and the Sentinels were.

She snapped heatedly, hoping Robin could see reason, "We can't bother with him now! Trigon is our main target, and we need to concentrate on stopping him and saving Raven first! Forget about Slade! We need to take care of _this_ threat first! Robin, before you argue, you need to realize that saving Raven's life is more important than getting your vengeance on Slade!"

Robin exhaled noisily before admitting, "Fine! Let's go!"

During this altercation, Ray was finding himself at the mercy of a lone Sentinel as it was about to kill him with a laser blast, and Bezerker found that his solo electrical blasts weren't that effective alone against the mutant android. Yet before the heat beams of radiation could strike him, Ray felt his heart drop as a figure swooped down from the air and snatched him out of the way, carrying him out of danger as the Sentinel missed them. Bezerker turned up to see the gentle face of the orange-skinned Starfire.

"You…you saved me…" Ray whispered dumbly, still half-dazed at how close he was to getting killed. Starfire gave the X-Man an amused look, as if she thought Ray was joking at how he didn't expect such an act.

"Of course, I have saved you, Friend Bezerker," Starfire said blithely but with sincerity, "Would you not do the same for me?"

Ray blushed a very deep and shameful shade of vermilion; he knew, with his anti-alien biases, what the answer to that would be. Starfire, however, took his silence as whole-hearted agreement as she enthusiastically flew herself and the X-Man out of the path of the attacks, avoiding them skillfully.

At the same moment, another Sentinel was trying to squash Aqualad to the ground, one heavy metal hand pressing down on the Atlantian's body and slowly crushing Aqualad as the machine applied more force on the figure it pinned down. Despite his incredible defense from diving into deep and incredibly pressurized oceans and murky realms, Aqualad screamed in pain as he knew it wouldn't be much longer before he would be nothing more than a bloody smear on the ground. And with no water source nearby, he was helpless. Yet Wavedancer then jumped in.

"Leave him alone!" the Misfit leader screamed before she flung an acid bomb and a smoke pellet she kept hidden in a secret compartment of her uniform belt, and upon the explosion of smoke of burning chemicals eating away at the metal and glass, the Sentinel released its hold on the Titan as it brought its hands to its face, distracted. Althea managed to help Aqualad limp out as Boom-Boom, Cannonball, and Colossus then took out the blind Sentinel.

"Why…why did you…?" Aqualad stammered. Wavedancer threw the Atlantian a glare of pure hate before she turned her gaze away, veiling her anger and deflating a bit as she helped the member of Titans East sit down on a crop of rock.

"Just because I hate your guts doesn't mean I want you dead, Aqualad" she muttered hotly, resentfully.

Garth looked a bit mulish as he dusted the dirt and grime off his bruised and battered torso area of his uniform, and he shot back with aggrieved cordialness, "I suppose that some kind of karma-philosophy mumbo-jumbo you picked off from your hackneyed ninja-training?"

Althea then shot him a concentrated look that would have easily gouged right through him as she steely growled, "No…it's something **_my father_** encouraged me to feel when I dealt with you or anyone from Atlantis."

Aqualad tried not to wince; he knew the real reason why Wavedancer sent that barb out at him, especially since it would be the one to make him feel the guiltiest…

"**_ENOUGH!_**" roared Trigon upon seeing the Hellions, Slade, and the Sentinels fail as he rose from his makeshift throne, "**_This charade and foolish delay of the end of your world has gone long enough! This fight, just as your meaningless lives, is pointless! X-Men, Misfits, Titans, your world has ended!_**"

Without fail, the teens gathered together as Trigon then lumbered towards them, his eyes glowing with power. Robin, Wavedancer, Bumblebee and Cyclops looked at each other, instantly arriving at the same conclusion as the four leaders then turned to the others, their faces grim but defiant.

"This is it, then…" Robin said stoutly.

"Our last stand, one final attack…" Wavedancer said with unbending steel.

"It's either him or us and countless other worlds…" Bumblebee said, her antennae perking up straight with courage.

"All or nothing…" Cyclops growled, his memories at the Professor and the adults being turned to stone invoking his emotions linked to his optic energy.

"You guys ready?" the four leaders roared, and upon hearing that, there was honestly no fear, no hesitation, their resolve strengthened by the battle with the Sentinels, the Hellions, and the Heartless only giving them the adrenaline and strength they needed to stand firm, to stand together as one, regardless of being a Titan, a mutant, or a student of H.I.V.E.

"**_LET'S DO IT!_**" bellowed the H.I.V.E trio, the Misfits, the X-Men, the Teen Titans, and the Titans East before they all charged, running or flying, towards Trigon.

"**_Foolish vermin! Your existence ends now!_**" the demon roared, but not a single teen faltered as they all let loose. Lance struck first as he placed his hands on the earth below, his eyes turning white. Like magic, the very ground underneath Trigon actually rent into two, causing hot fissures giving off searing bouts of steam and nearly causing Trigon to stumble, sidetracking the monster enough to prevent him from shooting them. Jamie managed to multiply into another army of clones before he and his doppelgangers aimed their glovatrixes and fired.

"Semtex missiles, away!" they yelled as one voice, and Trigon jerked his head back in annoyance as the projectiles managed to climb upwards towards his head and shoulders before littering the demon with numerous explosions that would have been enough to take out the Great Wall of China instantly. Beast Boy flew upwards towards Trigon as a hawk, screeching a shrill cry that rang in the air before it reached Trigon's right ear. Transforming into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, the green changeling then fell towards the distracted demon's head before chomping hard on the ear. Trigon howled as Beast Boy ripped it to shreds before changing again into a hummingbird and flying out of danger as Trigon tried to blast the Teen Titan with his eyes.

"Whoa! Those eye-blasts of Trigon's are powerful! They can kill all of us in one go!" gasped Justin.

"Maybe ya' can orb his attack right back at him!" Rogue exclaimed next to the Misfit, but Whitelighter looked absolutely terrified at the thought.

"I can't!" he cried, nearly whimpering, "I've never tried orbing an energy attack that big, and I'm still not in full control of my mutant powers, Rogue! I've already tried helping Sunspot, and it backfired when we fought against Tarot! The only way I'd be able to actually orb something _that_ huge is by pure luck!"

Rogue then craftily smiled as she then summoned a white hex-bolt in her left hand before tossing it at the Misfit, feeling hopeful as the good luck energy enveloped Justin's body.

"Luck, huh? Try it now, Whitelighter!"

"**_Die, vermin!_**" Trigon howled as he fired his wrath from all four of his eyes, ready to kill them all where the heroes stood, and shrieking his typical panic attack, Justin flung out his hands wildly and desperately yelled his command to summon the beams of cremating light.

"Energy attack!" he called out, and to his surprise and prideful amazement, the four red rays vanished with a gentle noise as the white auras engulfed it before causing it to reappear in front of Justin as a gigantic orb of crimson energy and shot back at Trigon with full intensity.

**SSSHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!**

Trigon howled in rage as the blast Whitelighter deflected back struck the demon in the hand, leaving it chaffed and bleeding.

"Whoa…" gasped Whitelighter. Rogue was grinning from ear to ear like an intoxicated maniac.

"Cool, never seen ya' do **that** before!" the X-Girl exclaimed, a bit high on the slight victory.

Speedy then let loose a steel arrow from his bow, waiting for the right moment before he let the shaft fly, and the abomination howled so loudly that the entire continent shook from the force of the shout as the arrow firmly sank into Trigon's upper right eye, blinding it instantly and being too small for Trigon to pluck it out manually.

"Bulls-eye," grinned Speedy.

Mammoth then went to Robin and Forge as they gave him one of their most powerful weapons from their personal arsenals.

"Here, take these!" Robin ordered as he and Forge both handed Mammoth a single explosive, with Forge's being a small but powerful cold-fusion bomb and the Boy Wonder's being a yellow-and-black capsule of several grams of nitroglycerin. Mammoth nodded before he raised his head and called out to Roberto who was flying above.

"Sunspot, I need a lift!" Mammoth yelled. Sunspot obliged as he swooped down and firmly grasped Mammoth's gargantuan hand before the both of them flew towards the sky at Trigon's head, covered by the demon's blind spot. The H.I.V.E. ape-like mutate released his hold as he heavily landed on Trigon's shoulder and scrambled up towards the demon's head, carrying his cargo protectively

"Here you go! Do your thing while I keep Trigon busy!" Roberto yelled as he then dive-bombed and hurled several pulses of sunspot radiation upon Trigon's head, instantly setting his white mane on fire. The demon bayed with anger as he tried to grab the X-teen, but Gizmo then swooped down with his mechanical glider before he released a volley of armor-piercing bullets from his machine gun turrets into Trigon's back along with several missiles. Trigon was now even more incensed as he felt the blood run down his back from the holes Gizmo had set in, and these two distractions were enough as Mammoth then flung the two bombs given to him by Robin and Forge into the gaping hole of Trigon's left ear.

"This is for my sister, you bastard!" Mammoth yelled as Sunspot and Gizmo carried him to safety right before the bombs detonated.

**_KAAA-BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!_**

"Yeesh, big, red, and horny's gonna need a mumbo-sized Band-Aid for _that_ one!" Cannonball winced, chuckling as now Trigon's left ear had been blasted off, leaving a ragged, oozing hole of blood and torn flesh.

Meanwhile, on the ground…

"Colossus, here!" Boom-Boom yelled as she made three large plasma bombs, each of them the size of a wrecking bal, and in quick succession, Colossus hefted them easily with his super-strength before he flung them at Trigon's legs, scoring direct hits for each one and nearly causing Trigon's knees to buckle, threatening to collapse under the strain of the weight. Starfire then flew in from above, peppering Trigon with numerous starbolts that hailed down from the sky and pelted him relentlessly. Trigon yowled like a ferocious beast as he then managed to grab Starfire with one claw, and the Tamaranean screamed as the demon began to squeeze her with all of his might.

"I shall crush you!" Trigon hollered in vehemence.

"Leave her alone, Trigon!" snarled Bezerker as he then summoned every fiber of his body to charge the air around the red-skinned demon with all the electrical power he could generate, his head threatening to reel and spin. Like a powerful cloud, the electricity charged the particles of air all around the giant, and Trigon then felt the odd sensation of his hair standing on its ends before the entire surrounding atmosphere lit on fire with an impressive and excruciating combustive effect.

KAAA-BOOOOMMM!

"**_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_**" Trigon squalled, arching his head back in agony as he released Starfire from his clutches, allowing the alien to free herself and smile appreciatively at Bezerker for the assistance.

"Friend Bezerker, thank you!" Starfire cried out.

"Just returning the favor, Starfire!" Ray called out as Cannonball managed to dash through and pick up his teammate before Trigon could step on him.

"Whoa! How'd you do that, Ray?" Sam asked as he hovered above Bezerker's head.

"Beast explained it to me in science class! It's the ionized air! I used my electricity to charge the air particles all around Trigon as much as I could before the air molecules got so unstable that it gives off heat! In other words, I made the air explode!"

"Looks like it was enough to hurt Trigon when you caught him in the middle of it!" marveled Cannonball, impressed, as Trigon managed to shakily prop himself from his kneeling position, his entire lower body now badly burnt and charred, giving off small wafts of vile-smelling smoke.

"Everyone, team up your attacks! We need to take him down, together!" Cyclops roared over his communicators upon seeing that their individual attacks weren't doing much good, and instantly agreeing, the teenagers acted at once…

"Ready for another 'Sonic Boom' co-op, Robin?" Cyborg grinned wickedly at the Boy Wonder. The dark-haired protégée of Batman returned a smirk just as determined. Remy then joined in with the two Teen Titans.

"Remy no think that Sonic Boom's gonna cut it on _Monsieur Trigon_!" Gambit pointed out at the thousand-foot behemoth, "Mind if this Cajun give a little spice to that duo-team up of yours, _mon ami_?"

"The more, the merrier!" Robin declared as all three of them let loose, with Robin throwing his explosive Birdarangs, Gambit releasing a whole deck of charged playing cards, and Cyborg shooting off a powerful blast of sonic energy from his arm cannon. Like magic, the Birdarangs exploded, causing Cyborg's sonic attack to spread out in a widespread attack of compressed air and the sonic wave formed from the combination. And to their collective surprise, Gambit's kinetic-energy cards merged with the sonic energy, causing the entire force to glow in a soft tone of pink luster as it rushed towards Trigon, now twice as powerful as any Sonic Boom Robin and Cyborg had ever been able to achieve before.

**_KAAA-WWHHHOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!_**

"Whoa! **That** one hurt him!" Robin smiled as the entire torso of the red-horned demon was now charred and actually smoking thick, vile plumes of burnt flesh and popped, oozing blisters.

"_Merde_," marveled Gambit in French as Cyborg patted the X-Man on the back, laughing despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Gambit, my brotha! We're gonna name that one the 'Cajun Sonic Boom'!"

At the same time, Starfire, Jinx, Bezerker, and the Blob were planning their unified assault. Jinx reached over and cast a simple hex onto Blob's body, and Fred felt the most pleasant sensation tingle his skin as his entire bulk was glowing in pink energy.

"Here, this should protect you and increase your invulnerability when you hit Trigon!" Jinx declared, and Ray then got a brilliant stroke of inspiration as he also touched Fred's hand with a glowing hard, cracking with streams and streams of electricity. Like the H.I.V.E. student's hex, the electricity surged and spread throughout Blob's entire body until Blob, to his surprise, was covered completely with streams and streams of hot, crackling white energy, like a coat. Fred whistled, impressed.

"Hey, cool!" Fred marveled.

"Might as well give you a little _oomph_ for effect," Bezerker grinned, and Starfire quickly grabbed the Blob by both of his hands as she flew into the air, carrying him with her superhuman strength and careful to not trigger the energy covering the Misfit as she carried him as far as she could dare, the air so thin, it was difficult for Fred to breathe. Yet even at the high altitude, Trigon could be easily spotted on the battle below.

"Are you ready, Friend Blob?" Starfire asked strongly as she began to swing her cargo around, building up speed.

"Launch me, Starfire!" Blob crowed.

Starfire grunted before she threw Blob with all of her strength at a steep angle, her aim directly at Trigon's head. Blob then curled his body into a fetal position and tucked in his head with his hand covering his neck the minute he felt himself plummet. Thanks to the laws of gravity and Blob's immense weight, the Misfit tore through the sky, whistling in the air as the speed and acceleration of freefall grew so strong, it was enough to make Blob's brain and internal organs dance with dizziness. The electricity and pink hex energy surrounding him actually began to grow stronger and stronger as Fred gained enough force to be similar to a meteorite falling from outer space and crashing into Earth. Which was probably how Trigon felt when the Blob in ball form collided at the very upside of his gigantic head…

**WHAM!**

The delivery was swift…and extremely painful. Trigon's head was actually swimming with dizzying pain as his vision blurred and the thousand-foot demon fell to his knees, pitching forward and his hair smoking from the electricity and hex-energy that surrounded Blob when the Misfit collided right into Raven's father.

"**_Damn you!_**" Trigon bellowed.

Unfortunately for the demon, when Trigon had pitched forward, he was propping himself up on the ground by using one of his hands, and that was exactly the chance Kitty had been waiting for. Shadowcat then managed to rise from the rock underneath before she actually phased Trigon's entire claw and arm deep into the ground, causing the demon to holler in astonishment as his arm passed through and deep into the earth before his face landed hard against the floor. Shadowcat actually giggled as she relinquished her powers on the ground and allowed the dirt to become tangible again. Predictably, Trigon was left with his hand trapped and caught, pinned among the rock and unable to wrench himself free simply because the X-Girl phased his hand into the Earth's crust.

"Like, hope you enjoy being stuck for a while! Like, now you guys!" yelled Shadowcat and instantly, Kurt, Lina, Todd, Althea, and Xi complied.

Wavedancer, Toad and Xi were teaming up their efforts to attack Trigon's head and face while the demon was still unable to attack them from his imprisoned position on the ground. Xi, being carried by his teammate Dragonfly, kept hurling small yet deadly darts with sharp needle-like tips made of plastic explosives and laced with curare poison, exactly like the weapons the Joe ninjas Storm Shadow, Jinx, and Snake Eyes used on the mutates Kanto summoned from H.A.T.E. And unfortunately for Trigon, Xi has hundreds of the lethal projectiles in a small pack he kept lashed around his waist.

**_Paf! Poof! Bang! Bang! Paf! Pow! Pap!_**

Trigon bellowed with malaise and misery as his entire face and neck area were riddled with small, miniature holes from the poisonous darts, still smoking from the explosions. Wavedancer, knowing that she couldn't use her hydrokinesis for this battle, then leapt at Trigon with her knife in her hand before driving it fully into Trigon's lower left eye, making a sickening squelch as the blade of metal sank into Trigon's eyeball, deep and excruciatingly tender. But that was nowhere near as painful when Toad and Nightcrawler, as a rare instance of a duo team, charged.

"Here's slime in your eye, yo!" laughed Toad as he then let loose a glob a acidic, green mucus from his tongue, and Trigon howled loudly enough to wake the dead as the caustic muck ate painfully at his upper right eyeball. As Toad fell past the demon's face, Cannonball managed to snatch him in mid-air and carried the frog-like Misfit to safety which was exactly the perfect time for Nightcrawler to execute his attack. With a hurl of his arms, Kurt flung several large and bulky water balloons in the air before they exploded into Trigon's face, dousing his entire wounded visage with an appropriate film of water.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…" Nightcrawler prayed, and then grinned as Trigon the Terrible was screaming himself hoarse, his face now actually starting to melt a bit as the water ate away at his flesh like acid.

"**_AAAAAAAAAA! What sort of witchcraft is this, you insignificant half-breed?_**" shouted Trigon. Kurt smiled even wider.

"It's not witchcraft. It's _holy water_! Handy, isn't it?" the X-Men wisecracked before he disappeared in a puff of smoke as Trigon then managed to rip his arm out of the ground with all the strength he could. Trigon, having enough, then had his antlers begin to glow again as he started to summon more fire minions to overwhelm, incinerate and kill the teenage heroes, but Lina knew what the demon was attempting to do again from the telltale crimson halo surrounding his head. Taking off as fast as she could, Dragonfly inwardly prayed her wings were enough to do the job as she whizzed by Trigon's right horn.

Needless to say, the Misfit's wings were adequately sufficient.

_Shhhhhaaaacccccckkkk!_

"**_UUURRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!_**" Trigon roared with murderous rage as his other antler, now cleanly cut, fell off his head, thoroughly decapitated by Dragonfly's wings. Hopping mad, Trigon tried to reach out and grab Dragonfly before she could fly away, but then X23 moved in as she was teleported to the top of Trigon's head via Nightcrawler, intervening smoothly to allow time for the Misfit to escape out of danger…

"Oh no you don't!" Rina yelled as she drew out her claws with a final _shikt_ and hacked at the other antler with all of her might. Like its predecessor, the remaining horn fell, separated from the demon's body, and Trigon shrieked in a tone that could not possibly belong to any human voice as Rina and Kurt teleported off the demon before he could kill them. Jean then flew in, still wearing the Cerebro helmet, tried to attack Trigon in his mind, but she found it was barely enough to cause him some slight discomfort.

Trigon, sensing the endeavor, sneered at Jean despite himself, drawling, "**_Do you actually think a single telepath can actually bring the might of Trigon the Terrible to his knees, you insignificant whelp?_**"

"Then how about **four** telepaths, Trigon?" snarled Jean as Daria, Quinn, and Brittany flew up alongside her, and joining hands in a very rare display of unity, Trinity and Jean Grey then combined all of their mental strength to take the thousand-foot tall behemoth down. If Trigon thought it was irritating to have Jean Grey try to mentally assault him, it was nowhere as painful when the Delgado Triplets chipped in…

"_Bad Trigon! Bad Trigon! Bad, bad, bad Trigon!_" Daria, Quinn, and Brittany yelled as huge bolts and shafts of white, psychic lightning as large as sewage drainage pipes coursed through the demon's body and mind, shattering it over and over again. Thanks to Raven's power flowing through all four of them and providing excellent mental shields, Trigon really could not stop the four girls by unleashing mental imprints of his own. And in addition to the psychic lightning, Jean and the Triplets added barrage after barrage of telepathic forces, the actual pressure of the psychic manipulations squeezing his brain and causing Trigon's head to hurt so much, he actually thought it was going to split apart. And it was extremely satisfying to see that they were actually and harshly hurting him, that Trigon was suffering for what he did to the H.I.V.E. students and the adults.

"**_Curse you, you sniveling, weak brats!_**" Trigon snarled as he tried to blast them, but the telepathy and lightning managed to barely keep him at bay.

"How does it feel to finally know how to fear, just like how much you tormented Raven when you bullied her, you asshole?" growled Jean under the Cerebro helmet as she and Trinity gave Trigon a final mental blast, nearly sending him reeling, before she reached out to her mental link to Cyclops, and yelled out the signal as the four girls dashed into the sky.

_Now, Scott! Now, Starfire!_

As one, the alien and the mutant let loose twin attacks from their eyes, a swirling column of red and green striking Trigon in the throat right underneath his chin and leaving a deep, bloody puncture of where the combined optic blasts had partially gouged through. Seeing that it wasn't enough, Wanda led the next attack…

"Now!" yelled Scarlet Witch before she, Jinx, and Rogue all performed a simultaneous three-way hex attack exactly as they had performed on Slade before. The three hex-bolts surged before combining into a single ball of energy before striking the exact area where Cyclops and Starfire fired upon.

**_KAAA-SSHHHHAAAAACCCCKKKKKK!_**

_Now_ Trigon had a hole gouged cleanly through his entire throat as he choked and coughed, sputtering and vomiting a little blood as it dripped from the cleft through his larynx. Bumblebee then flew towards the demon, intent of blinding his final eye. Being no fool, Trigon reached out to grab her, but Lockheed, carrying an angry Silkie, then managed to drop his friend onto Trigon's nose right before Silkie gave the demon's nostril a mighty chomp.

"**Yeeeeooooooooowwwww!**" shrieked Trigon.

"Thanks, Silkie and Lockheed!" yelled Bumblebee gratefully before she flew directly into Trigon's last and remaining eye, her stingers set at their highest and most crippling setting. Before Trigon could recover from the pain of Lockheed's attack, he then became entirely preoccupied by a new pain when Bumblebee jammed both of the stingers into the soft, fleshy part of the demon's retina, releasing a furious backlash of harsh energy. There was a moderate explosion before Bumblebee felt the goop and warm ooze of demon eye-matter splatter against her body and past her as Trigon was now officially blind in that eye. Trigon howled as he brought two of his hands close to his face and tried to swat the Titans East leader, but Bumblebee managed to shrink herself to a small size, avoiding the large appendages easily before she snatched Silkie and hightailed it away along with Lockheed from Trigon's face. This was about when Mas, Menos, Magma and Quicksilver teamed up as one to act…

"Hope you like lava, Trigon, cause you're going to be encased into it!" Magma yelled as she summoned several large spouts of the molten, red rock from all around before having it surge towards the giant, and Quicksilver, Mas, and Menos were having the time of their lives as they ran circles around the demon, the winds created from their super-speeds drawing the lava inwards the tornado and dousing Trigon over and over again with the searing liquid, fully covering it as it swirled and built-up on his body slowly. And Iceman was also aiming his powers at the cyclone the three speedsters were creating so that he could cool the lava down and cause it to harden into rock to trap the demon. Unfortunately, Bobby could see it wouldn't be enough as Trigon flailed and madly struggled against the forces pushing all around him as he was trapped in the eye of the hurricane.

"Can't you transform all that lava yourself, Rogue?" Garth asked the X-Girl hurriedly next to him while they were observing this, but Rogue shook her head, at a loss.

"I can't!" Rogue shot back, stuck, "Selinda's powers will only affect things that are within three feet of her in order to change the matter! And with those whirlwinds around Trigon thanks to my idiot half-brother, I can't get close enough to help Iceman trap him and harden the lava!"

"Wait! But you can transform the lava around **us**, can't you?" Aqualad then gasped as a brilliant idea struck him as he and Rogue turned around, observing their surroundings. Indeed, as the Atlantian pointed out, they were surrounded by a sea of molten rock, spewing smoke and bubbling thickly with red sluggishness. Rogue still looked a little confused until Aqualad pointed it out.

"I can control water, like Wavedancer, remember?" Aqualad explained hurriedly, "So if I had a large supply of water, I can help cool the lava Magma is summoning to trap Trigon!"

Rogue then got it before she jumped into action, turning the molten rock instantly to clear water, enough to fill a small lake.

"Aqualad, here! I managed to transform a good hunk of the lava into water! Hurry, before the stuff evaporates! Use it help out Iceman!" Rogue called out.

"Iceman, here!" Aqualad yelled as he called forth the water in the form of a giant waterspout and sent into the tornado and lava. In no time at all, the lava hardened into a tight prison of rock, the column actually pinning Trigon's arms to his sides and forcing him to remain still and he struggled and writhed vainly in his position. Scarlet Witch and Cannonball saw their chance as they both remembered a very powerful and special move…

"You ready, Cannonball?" yelled Wanda.

"I'm game for some serious demon butt-kicking! Do it now, Scarlet Witch!" bellowed Sam, and the female goth then surrounded the country-boy X-Man with protective hex energy as Cannonball flew out with his fists outstretched and in front of him as he soared towards the incapacitated Trigon, aiming dead center in the demon's chest. The air was simply screaming, whistling loudly as Cannonball tore through the sky, actually creating a vacuum with his powers, as he rushed towards the thousand-foot demon at incredible speeds, the forces of propulsion and gravity tugging rather painfully at his body with the blood roaring in his ears with anticipation and nervousness. Yet Sam knew he had to do this, exactly like how they had done it before to Darkseid at the final battle at Apokolips. It may be the one thing that could truly stop Trigon.

Scarlet Witch then instantly yelled in her communicator, relaying her message to everyone who could hear her, "Everyone who can, shoot and aim your attacks at Cannonball! Combine all our energy and let's take down Trigon together!"

Without fail or the least bit of confusion, the Teen Titans, the Titans East, the X-Men, the Misfits, and even the H.I.V.E. students all united their attacks as one, unstoppable strike of teamwork, using Cannonball's gravitational bullet-shield as a conductor towards Trigon.

Gizmo produced a strange laser-cannon from the center of his mechanical vest before releasing a powerful surge of green, radioactive nuclear energy, and in conjunction, Forge simultaneously fired with his laser pistol. Jinx let loose twin blasts of pink hexes from her hands, flinging them one after the other while Cyborg then aimed his right arm, set in its cannon-mode at the highest caliber before releasing a devastating surge of blue, sonic energy. Lockheed roared with appreciative excitement as he flew high into the air and released a stream of dragon-fire, and Sunspot and Bezerker both teamed up their attacks, creating a wide and dangerous column of black-and-yellow sun-radiation with an encircling and encapsulating layer of white, crackling electricity swarming all around it, cutting through the air and strong enough to cut through a Sentinel in half. Gambit simply grinned as he let loose a flurry of glowing, bio-kinetically charged cards with a grand sweep of his arm.

"**Delta Psychic Wave, girls!**" Daria cried out as she, Quinn, and Brittany joined hands a final time before powering up a furious, wide-ranged discharge of white, psychic lightning towards Cannonball's direction, and Rogue then added her own blast of a black hex-disc she summoned with Roulette's stolen abilities. Aqualad and Wavedancer, in a rare front of teamwork, summoned the last of the water available in the field before creating a single waterspout to rise high into the sky before rushing forward, churning and frothing madly. And Iceman was only happy to oblige to strengthen its shock and intensity as he aimed both of his hands and released a frigid ice-beam colder than the temperature of liquid nitrogen. Starfire and Cyclops then combined both their eye-blasts, a swirl of red and green energy cutting through the air, while Magma then added in a continuous stream of fire she was able to summon from the nearby pools of lava.

And as an added bonus, all the rest of the heroes who were not mentioned and who could not possibly add in their own long-ranged energy attacks had the inspiration hit them at once simultaneously before they all joined hands and said a familiar spell.

"**_Azarath Metrion Zinthos!_**" they all chanted, and like clockwork, a stream of black, telekinetic aura flowed from all of their bodies before uniting into a powerful, roaring column of shadows.

Like magic, each and every one of the contributions surged and swirled into a infinite yet stunningly beautiful display of energy and power as it encircled and enveloped Cannonball's shield as he rocketed in the sky, guiding all of the attacks mixed together from various sources as it clung to his body. All of them being brought directly to Trigon himself. The red-horned demon's eyes widened as he could sense what was coming.

"**_NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_**" Trigon thundered right before Sam and the energy surrounding him struck…

**_KKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-BBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!_**

"I don't believe this!" gasped Raven as she witnessed the scene as she and Leomon fled Brother Blood and the minions of the fire demons chasing after them, "They're…they're hurting him!"

"Look at your friends, kid," Leomon said as he and Raven witnessed the Titans, the Titans East, the X-Men, and the Misfits giving it all they got, actually managing to provide a very difficult time for the demon lord as Trigon managed to rise from his sprawled position of being blasted back, "Look, they know about the prophecy, and yet they're not afraid to fight, they're not afraid to continue to defend and face your father, even if he is more powerful than they are by a long shot."

"**_ENOUGH!_**" Trigon declared before he summoned two of his hands and let loose a furious discharge of red energy that sent all the heroes flying, screaming in surprise and pain as not a single one of them had been able to avoid the flare, sending them all flying before they crashed to the ground, stunned and groaning.

"No!" wailed the child, and Brother Blood sneered as he and the fire Heartless finally managed to corner and surround the two targets at last, leaving them nowhere to run.

"It's over!" Blood sneered. Trapped, no way out, the entire Earth dead, the planet's only heroes about to be killed by Trigon the Terrible…

Leomon then realized what he had to do…and the thought of it was enough to strike the fear of any benevolent God in his heart. The lion then held the petrified Raven tighter to his chest as he then whispered to himself the closest thing to a remorseful prayer he could ever bring himself to utter.

"Your Majesty…forgive me for what I have to do."

Leomon then turned to Raven as his paw reached for something behind his back.

"Kid?" he whispered softly as the Heartless edged closer and closer…

"Yes?" Raven asked with wide, innocent, and tear-filled eyes.

"Your mother loves you too, kid. Don't blame her for trying to protect you," Leomon murmured in the softest voice he could ever make with his deep tone. Raven nodded. Robin looked up from his sprawled position, his face grimy and his body aching from the explosion of Trigon's palm blast before he then realized what Leomon was about to attempt.

"**_NO!_**" Robin screamed as his hand went to a Birdarang in his utility belt, but it was too late.

With a quick movement of his paw, Leomon unsheathed his sword from his back and plunged it into the tiny body of Raven, dead center into her heart and chest.

Robin's world collapsed all around him as he witnessed Leomon stabbing his friend.

"What the hell?" gasped Brother Blood, truly taken aback.

The dark-haired child's eyes went wide as she made a faint gurgle, her tiny arms and hands vainly trying to pull the bronze blade that stabbed her in the heart rather painfully, her throat clogged with pain. Then, after a few anguished moments, the child closed her eyes in a peaceful expression on her face…and went limp.

Robin heard screaming until he realized that it was his own, his throat now painfully hoarse and dry, at the dead and bleeding form of the child that had once been the beloved member of the Teen Titans called Raven. The others, however, were too busy to discover the atrocity Leomon committed; the Titans, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the H.I.V.E. students were weakly trying to recover from Trigon's attack, shaky, dazed…and greatly discouraged. They had come together and banded their attacks as one, and yet it still wasn't enough to stop Trigon the Terrible as he then raised his two remaining arms high in the sky and summoned a grand fireball of demonic power and wicked intensity.

This would be it.

"**_It is finished, you troublesome pests!_**" howled Trigon as he was about to blast them all into ashes.

"Selinda…I'll see you soon," whispered Mammoth, his eyes dripping with tears as his shaggy head sunk, weary and already resigned to accept his fate.

Heavily bruised and cut, Jinx was still adamant as she managed to cry, "No, Mammoth! We'll lose if we give up!"

Nightcrawler then murmured the last prayer he thought he would ever make as Shadowcat desperately hugged Lockheed close to her, "**_Mein Gott!_** Saints and heaven preserve us, as of now!"

Suddenly, to everyone's astonishment and amazement, a white blast of light struck Trigon forcefully from behind, radiating powerfully and searing into the demon lord's flesh and soul, ravaging him into new depths of pain and sensations he never dreamed could be possible before. Trigon howled in agony as he relinquished his hold on the energy ball, the crimson energy vanishing in thin air and sparing the teenagers at the demon's mercy. Kurt instantly turned upwards at the sky gratefully.

"_Danke!_" he groveled rather shamelessly, "You sent an angel to save us!"

Toad then gasped as his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped before he pointed to something he spotted in the sky over Trigon's shoulder, uttering dumbly, "Uh…Fuzzy? Hate to break this to you, but she ain't no angel, yo!"

It was then that the astonished and stupefied heroes and teens could clearly see what saved them as Trigon whirled around to face his attacker. It was an astral form of Raven, an apparition, a soul-self, a translucent and transparent spirit made of the most beautiful halos of light. It was no longer the Raven in the form of the child that Leomon cradled in his arms. This form of Raven was older, almost exactly like the Teen Titans the others knew and loved for so long, except her cloak was pure white and her hair was slightly longer, draping unevenly around her shoulders, making her more feminine and a bit beautiful as well. And next to Raven, grasping her hand, was a similarly formed soul-self of Arella, the lone priestess of Azarath and Raven's mother, the one who sired a child with Trigon. Trigon was outraged at seeing his former mate and his daughter, and so was Brother Blood, but the religious human was also overcome with confusion and a bit of fear.

"Impossible!" Brother Blood cried, "Arella is back! But she's dead! That bitch is dead as we speak! No power in the universe can bring back the dead, none except - !"

But then Brother Blood's voice died in his throat as he managed to glance at the nearby corpse of Raven's mother, now cold and pale amid a dried puddle of blood and then spotted a small yet telltale mark on the dead woman's forehead. It was a strange and modified symbol of a heart with a keyhole inside it, and Brother Blood then turned to Leomon who was still protectively carrying the dead child in his arms like a precious cargo of gold, his face stony yet fiercely displaying danger to anyone who would dare try to snatch the body away from him.

It then came to him. Arella and Raven were still alive in soul form because of Leomon. The lion used whatever damned powers he had to bring Arella and Raven back to challenge Trigon. And that made Brother Blood all the more disbelieving and furious. How could the lion warrior even have such powers over the Light, such magical abilities that surpasses his and the Hellfire Club's? Unless…

Brother Blood's eyes widened as he then surveyed the Digimon with a mixture of fear, horror…and awe.

"No, it can't be! **You can't be!**" roared Brother Blood, his voice rising in pitch and lividly beside himself. But before he could say anything more, the spirit of Raven then turned to the evil member of the Hellfire Club below before the apparition of the gem on her forehead began to glow dangerously.

"_You killed my mother, you bastard_," Raven hissed in a ghostly, ethereal voice, and before Blood could do anything to defend himself, the Teen Titan then sent a huge telepathic assault of devastating magnitude, so powerful it could have caused Trigon and Blackheart themselves to beg for mercy, the forces of Azarath flowing through her, using her as a conduit to channel the positive energy of good, light, and Azar's legacy through her. Without a sound, Brother Blood felt his mind succumb to the force of Raven's anger and power which very well dwarfed the power he stole from her at the marriage ceremony. Brother Blood brought his hands to his temples and screamed, trying vainly to forcibly push the looming presence out, but the darkness would not cease and it spread, silent, deadly, and with cold finality as the religious tyrant of black magic felt his senses die, one by one, his vision cloud over, and losing all feeling in his body as he plunged into a vortex of swirling, never-ending darkness.

"No! This can't be happening! Damn you, you little witch!" Blood roared as his consciousness was sucked into the infinite abyss, never to return and doomed for an eternity of quiet, unbearable silence and nothingness. With a final blast, Raven broke Brother Blood's mind and left him shattered, his psyche now irreparably damaged and leaving the Shaggy Man now twitching on the floor, brain dead and jabbering incoherently like an idiot.

The Shaggy Man that was once Brother Blood was now defeated, alive in flesh but broken in mind and soul.

"_Consider that an official annulment, Blood. By the legacy of Azar, I revoke all the blessings you have gained from the holy matrimony to my daughter_," Arella intoned solemnly before she and a satisfied Raven turned back to an outraged Trigon who was now absolutely furious that he could not kill the phantasms outright.

"**_You!_**" he snarled, "**_What hope can a mere child have of defeating her all-powerful father?_**"

That one sentence was the last audacious mistake Trigon would ever make on the planet of Earth again. Raven gave a grimace of absolute hate and loathing, almost enraged by the fact that the demon dared claim himself as her father. With a cry of anger and years and years of pent-up frustration and hurt, the soul-self ghost of Raven let loose a huge blast of white light, which struck the leviathan fully in the chest, and Trigon the Terrible grunted in pain, now truly taken aback at how easily Raven could hurt him without barely any effort.

"**_WHAT?_**" he snarled in surprised shock, but Raven cut him down, each sentence punctured with cold, deadly ice-pricks, her face displaying protective love and fury for her friends and the world. The phantasm of Arella just watched on with a hard, unreadable frown of stern stoniness.

Trigon had made Raven's life a living hell for the very last time.

"_You may have created me…_" Raven said coldly as she blasted the red behemoth.

Trigon roared as the shaft of bright light struck him in the chest again, in the exact place the previous blast had hit him before.

"_…but you were never my father!_" Raven finished in a scream as she flung out an arm, wild and swift with fury and trauma. The red demon nearly went flying as he stumbled back, crashing into a pile of abandoned buildings and rubble before shooting the spirit above him with a glare of pure hate...and trepidation.

"What's she doing?" gasped Sam, but Tabitha was already grinning along with several of the other heroes as they realized the truth.

"She's fighting back!" Boom-Boom cheered, "Raven's finally giving her deadbeat Father from Hell the beating he's been asking for! She's fighting back!"

"Yeah, go Raven! Kick his butt!" Beast Boy yelled, his hope rising upon seeing his friend and pumping a fist in the air.

"Waste the scuzz-chewer, witch-girl!" called out Gizmo. During this, the thousand-foot giant was now starting to worry, especially since his daughter was not showing any intention of mercy and no longer appeared to be the least intimidated by him. She was no longer the small child he could easily scare and terrorize into submission, and now desperate, Trigon let loose a powerful blast of his demonic aura at Arella and Raven.

"**_Wretch! Insignificant brat! How dare you challenge me?_**" Trigon thundered to the ashy, red skies above, but the beam of the attack just harmlessly passed by Raven and her mother, the two of them still holding hands as they merely raised an eyebrow at the attempt to incinerate them.

Raven then continued to blast Trigon with short yet excruciating pulses of white light, the aura and forces of Azarath blessing her and guiding her for the exorcism of the planet from this blight.

"_Fathers are kind!_" Raven yelled, contradicting the demon as she blasted him in the face.

Trigon now hollered as his face was little more that an unidentifiable, soggy pulp of exposed flesh and charred skin, dripping vast amounts of blood.

"_Fathers protect you!_" Raven snarled as she threw another surge of blinding light.

Now Trigon lost his two remaining and fully-functional hands, his arms now waving nothing more that bloody, grotesque stumps, displaying dangling threads of flesh and dripping veins.

"_Fathers raise you!_" Raven screamed with ire as she then used her telepathy.

Trigon arched his back and wailed to the heaven as a massive bolt of psychic lightning blitzed him, piercing through his brain and backbone as if one had shot an arrow of flame and red-hot metal through his spinal column.

"_I was protected by the monks of Azarath!_" Raven snapped, the memories of her smiling on her mother's lap as a babe and the gray-eyed yet gentle and pacifistic Azar teaching her meditation techniques with much patience and love.

Trigon faltered as he was pushed back as a wave of force swept over him like a tidal wave.

"_I was raised by my friends!_" Raven hollered, her wrath to defend the Titans fueled by the memories of the laughter, the closeness, the intimacy of the fellow teammates from both the Teen Titans and Titans East, the day they tried to throw her a birthday party.

Trigon yelped as unseen fire started to engulf his skin, invisible and yet exposing the monster to such unbearable heat that his thick hide was starting to pop and bubble with numerous sores and blisters, steaming madly.

"_And even the outcasts and heroes of this world were nice to me, showed me that they cared for me, treated me with kindness and loyalty and gave me friendship, more than you ever did for me!_" Raven bellowed, the jewel on her head now glowing stronger than ever, as she recalled Rogue and Wanda, empathizing with her and helping understand that she was never alone, and despite the difference between the mutants and humans, Raven was really no horrendous than they were.

Trigon groaned as the next blast brought him to his knees, weakly beaten and enervated.

"_They are my friends. They are my family. This is my home,_" hissed Raven to a dangerous whisper, her hair and cloak billowing around her, a sign of the power that was slowly but surely building and increasing by the second all around her.

Trigon, now being subjected to crackling streams of white electricity as it coursed and traveled all across his body, then knew what true fear and horror felt like as Raven spoke the last of her tirade.

"**_And you are not welcome here!_**" she bellowed. Arella then telepathically managed to speak to all of the teenagers who were witnessing this miracle with astonished, bug-eyed wonderment.

_Quickly, X-Men, Misfits, Titans, everyone…help my daughter! Help banish Trigon once and for all!_

"Then let's send Trigon packing!" Pietro cheered as the Teen Titans, Titans East, the X-Men, the H.I.V.E. students and the Misfits joined hands once again, forming a circle as the familiar feeling of energy emerged in their souls and minds…

"**_AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!_**" they all shouted along with Raven and Arella, their voices swelling in power and might and growing hope as another telltale stream of dark force, supplied from each remnant of power Raven left behind in each teenage hero, materialized from the group in the center of the circle before flying out and engulfing the demon lord fully, encircling him and trapping him in an unbreakable telekinetic hold before the light engulfed him and the world, dwarfing everything.

"**_NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_**" Trigon screamed before the light erased him from reality.

In a flash…there were a few moments of silence, so peaceful and tranquil that at first, everyone wondered if they were dead. Yet then the teens then found themselves upon an alley street of…a newly restored Jump City, the people now animated and alive and restored back to flesh as the cars and buses and buildings nearby bustled with activity. The sun shone brightly against the blue sky while the oceans nearby gave off cool breezes of fresh air, pleasant and oddly enough, intoxicating.

"Oh my God!" Kitty gasped, looking all around, wondering if her eyes were fooling her. But there was no denying it. Jump City, and indeed, the entire world and Earth had been saved and brought back to its beautiful and former self.

"It…it's back! The city is back! The world's back!" Bobby exclaimed.

"It's…it's never looked more beautiful before!" Jinx sighed, crying with relief. But then Robin accusing tone of hate and anger shook them all out of their disbelief before they could celebrate at their victory.

"How could you?" Robin choked, his teeth bared and his mouth formed into a snarl. The Teen Titans, the Titans East, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the H.I.V.E. trio turned to see that they were not alone on the sidewalk of the abandoned alleyway. Leomon was with them. And in his paws was a small and bloody bundle of…

"No," gasped Rina, quivering at the sight of the dead child incarnation of Raven, her expression being one of peace as she remained limp in Leomon's paws. Wanda and Rogue then started to cry, actually hugging each other as they mourned for their friend.

"_Senorita Raven_…" whimpered Mas y Menos. Starfire looked at Leomon with absolute hate, her face streaked with angry tears, and one could tell that she was very close to ripping Leomon's head off if she could.

"Leomon…**_why?_**" Lance asked in a shaking voice, his arms limp at his sides. Colossus, Cyclops, Gambit, and Jean, though they didn't say anything, threw Avalanche a unified look that clearly said with blame, "We told you so".

"You…killed her!" snarled Beast Boy, "You killed Raven!"

Bumblebee was starting to weep, her head in her hands and Jinx held her elbows tightly, the shock of seeing the young incarnation of the Titan dead reminding her of her grief of Selinda's death, and she felt her heart go out to the Titans. Gizmo and Mammoth were staring at the lion with a mixture of disbelief and shock. Leomon just looked at them all wearily as he then spoke gruffly.

"It was the only way to help the kid gain the power to banish Trigon and save the world," he said at last. Cyborg then completely lost it as he aimed his sonic cannon at Leomon's heart, his hand shaking with rage.

"Give us one good reason why we shouldn't kill you right now, you furry bastard!" Cyborg bellowed in wrathful grief. The lion humanoid then turned his deep blue eyes to the teenagers in front of him.

"She's not dead," Leomon rumbled lowly.

"Gee, ya' could have fooled us!" shot Sam with venom, obviously not believing the lion, but then the swordsman surprised them all as he then voiced a spell.

Leomon then intoned in his deep voice, "_By the blessings of the Gaia Kingdom and in the name of the Elementa Trinity, resurrect the one of Darkness and bring her within to the power of Light._"

To everyone's amazement, the small form of Raven was immersed in light, levitating up in the air softly like the caress of a gentle patron, before the blood disappeared and the girl's body grew bigger, maturing and forming feminine curves and appearing older by the second before the halos of radiance softly disappeared, leaving a new teenage Raven in flesh and blood, exactly like the apparition that defeated Trigon along with Arella before, after a few breathless moments…

The teenage Raven opened her eyes, clearing her vision a bit to see her friends staring at her. Opening her mouth, the resurrected Titan then managed to speak her first words of the new day.

"I…I feel…different," murmured Raven as she looked at her hands and her white clock that gracefully billowed around her and caressed her body. The Titans gasped as they and the heroes rushed over to her.

"**You're…you're alive, yo!**" breathed Toad in awe.

"Raven…that was…" Starfire gasped.

"…unbelievable." Speedy finished for the alien girl.

"Welcome back," sniffed Rogue and Wanda as they hugged Raven tightly.

Beast Boy was still shocked.

"Okay, you're freaking me out here! The white robe and smile are weird enough, but hugs? Are you still…you?" he asked hesitantly to Raven. Raven gave him an unreadable expression.

"Well...I like the new look...but don't get used to the smile."

It was at this when the Titan's face dropped, showing her usual stony self along with her trademark deadpanned tone of voice.

"Because you're still not funny and still just as irritating as ever."

"Huh?" Beast Boy gasped, confused, before it came to him, and he happily squealed with joy as he rushed over and hugged his friend.

"Raven!" he cheered.

"Quit it," she sighed, exasperated at the gushiness, though she could admit she didn't mind as the rest of the Titans, the Titans East, the Misfits, the X-Men, and even Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo offered their expressions of happiness and joy at the fact that Trigon was gone and she had been spared.

"All right, y'all! Four-Eyes is history, his ghoulies are gone, and we just saved the whole dang universe!" Cyborg cheered as Trinity danced in a circle with Bumblebee, Lockheed, Piotr, Kitty, Tabitha, Mas y Menos, and Jamie.

"But…what I don't understand is…how?" Raven murmured before she and the rest of the crowd turned to a quiet Leomon in the background. Leomon looked a bit embarrassed at the attention as he muttered bitterly.

"I took the evil out of you, when I stabbed you. In other words, your body and soul has been purified, kid. You still have the same powers and the same weaknesses of not letting your emotions and feelings get the better of you, but you now have a new body, a cleansed golden one, if you want to call it that. One that's free from Trigon's legacy…"

"So why did you help Raven? Why did you decide to resurrect her back to life and give her a whole new body when you told us that you didn't care one way or another as long as the Armageddon had been prevented?" Colossus asked in a hard tone, still suspicious that the lion swordsman had ulterior motives behind his so-called act of goodwill. Leomon just stonily looked at Raven, the Titans, the X-Men, and the Misfits with a frown before he gave Lance the briefest (with some resentment) glance out of the corner of his eye before he addressed Raven directly.

"As much as I am loathed to admit it, they were right when I was told that you were as much as a victim in this as everyone else, kid."

This raised a few eyebrows, and Lance got a little uncomfortable with everyone else in the crowd glancing and/or staring at him.

"Wow, so everything like turned out all right in the end then," Shadowcat sighed, but Leomon's eyes fell a bit, and Lance and Althea were surprised to see a touch of…fear?

"No, not everything turned out all right, Shadowcat," Leomon said huskily, as if having difficulty swallowing, "I broke...one of the sacred rules I was supposed to uphold, one of the few rules that are taboo and cannot be ignored under any circumstances. I have altered the timeline of life and death for one individual, the very person I was assigned to terminate to save the world and stop Trigon. As a result, there's going to be consequences."

"Leomon?" Jean asked, confused. Now the Misfits, the X-Men, the Teen Titans, the Titans East, Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo could all see that the lion swordsman was slightly quivering underneath his fur, his face clouded with sullen regret. Leomon composed himself before he turned to the teenagers.

"I will be punished for what I did with Raven, for bringing her back to life. There is no mistake about that."

"But you did the right thing…" Xi put in, yet Leomon's mouth went thin with sullen dread.

"He will still not be pleased," the lion said mysteriously, and everyone then felt a little unnerved. If Leomon was afraid of the very person who ordered him to kill Raven, then that meant this being must be very influential and powerful.

"He…he won't kill you, will he?" Beast Boy gasped before blabbering like a typical, hyperactive idiot, "If you need to, we can hide you, give you a new identity, make sure the Justice League has you under - !"

"No," Leomon rumbled vehemently, "He's a good being, one with one of the most purest and strongest hearts I have ever witnessed. He won't punish me with cruelty and violence, kid. It's just…I failed him."

"**Failed** him?" echoed Dragonfly incredulously.

"But you still helped us fight Trigon!" protested Blob, "We stopped the Armageddon! Earth is safe! Trigon's gone!"

"But as a result of not killing Raven when I was supposed to, the possibility that the Gathering of Twilight will be on Earth grows even stronger," Leomon said wearily.

"The Gathering of Twilight? That sounds familiar…" Bobby frowned.

Pietro rolled his eyes as he exclaimed, "Duh, Ice-Cube! It's what Slade told to Raven when he chased her and told her about the prophecy! Remember, the one where Xavier showed us the memories Rogue absorbed from Raven?"

They did indeed.

"'For darkness is the heart's true essence'…" Sunspot said aloud, remembering the herald of doom from Raven's memory that Rogue absorbed.

"'The fate of the Earth rests on the Gathering of Twilight'…" finished Brittany, frowning uncharacteristically. Indeed, Trinity couldn't make heads or tails out of that statement.

"Leomon…that reminds us, who ordered you to assassinate Raven?" Speedy asked with a hint of suspicious anger, interested. Leomon just glared at Speedy before he ignored the question and turned his attention to Raven, his glare stern, dark, and moody…but Raven knew that Leomon didn't mean anything threatening from the look.

"I put my neck out for you, kid," Leomon growled, "You better damn well appreciate it…"

Raven nodded before she whispered, "I do…thank you, Leomon."

Leomon gave a growl before he turned and started to walk away.

"So that's it?" Amara asked crossly, demanding, as she placed her hands on her hips, "No apology? No request for Raven's forgiveness? No humble speech telling us that we were right and that you were wrong?"

"Don't push it, kid," Leomon growled dangerously as he continued to walk away, "Just because I helped you X-Men and Misfits and the Titans doesn't mean that I agree with your sentiments. You've got a lot to learn about respecting others' viewpoints, Magma, so keep your pretty mouth shut and accept the fact that the entire world isn't perfect and that not every being believes in the same thing you do."

Amara turned beet-red before she muttered under her breath, "Whatever, you furry, hairball-coughing butt-wipe…"

"I heard that, Amara," Leomon commented rather sternly (really, he had the ears of a bat) without turning around, "And for your information, I have never coughed up a hairball in my entire existence."

"Geez, what a prick," muttered Boom-Boom, incredibly put off and thinking that the lion warrior needed a complete attitude adjustment.

"I still don't trust him," Cyclops muttered darkly.

Lance, deciding he didn't give a damn about how it would look to the others, rushed after the lion warrior, not knowing of the looks of surprise and confusion on the crowd's faces.

"What is he doing?" Remy gaped with slight disgust as Avalanche caught up to the mysterious swordsman.

"Leomon?"

"What, Avalanche?" Leomon muttered, annoyed as he shot Lance a calm yet tired frown over his shoulder.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you this when you saved Spirit and me back from that fire Heartless. Thanks, for saving us. For saving **_all_** of us, even if we're not on the same side. Just because…just because a lot of the X-Geeks and the Titans disagree with your opinions doesn't mean that some of us don't understand that you did what you had to do in your position," Lance said in a strong voice, looking at Leomon squarely in the eye, not even faltering in his gaze for a moment. Leomon scrutinized the Misfit geokinetic in front of him before…Leomon finally smiled (to Lance's surprise).

"Out of all the brats and idiots I had to deal with during this…you're the one I can probably _tolerate_ the most."

Lance chuckled a bit before his face grew solemn again.

"It isn't over, is it? This whole Heartless thing and the Hellfire Club…things are gonna get worse, aren't they?" Lance asked, having a good inkling of what the answer would be. Leomon, however, just ignored the question and leaving the ambiguous unsaid as a response before he uttered the most heartfelt sentence he could bring himself to make.

"Take care…fellow lion-heart."

And with that, Leomon pounced and leapt up to the rooftop of the nearby skyscraper before he dashed and nimbly jumped amongst the buildings before he disappeared from view entirely. Lance, a bit taken aback but touched, made his way back to the X-Men, Titans, and Misfits. They all looked at him, questioning. Pietro, not surprisingly, then had to open his big mouth as he teased Lance.

"Wow, first Kitty, now Leomon. You really have a sick attraction for cats, don't you, Lancey-boy?" the Misfit sniped mercilessly.

"Shut up, Pietro!" snapped Starfire, Wanda, and Rogue as all three of them gave the albino Misfit a swat upside the head that pitched him forward, face-first, towards the sidewalk.

"What did Leomon say, Lance?" Justin piped up at Lance, curious. Lance gave a meaningful yet unreadable look, and Kitty was a bit surprised to see how peaceful his expression was, as if it was the accepting calm before the storm.

"Basically, this isn't over yet. We're still going to be in for a rough ride, Whitelighter," Lance sighed.

Beast Boy said a bit worriedly yet thoughtfully, "Dude, I get the feeling we're gonna be seeing Leomon again real soon."

Lance cast his sight upon the top of the buildings where the haunted yet dangerous lion warrior disappeared to before he murmured, "I wouldn't be at all surprised, Gar."

"Kids!" yelled a familiar voice, and everyone turned to see a joyous sight.

"Dad!" cried Lance gratefully, his face displaying extreme relief and joy along with the rest of the Misfits and X-Men as they saw Spirit, Cover Girl, Blind Master, Shipwreck, Roadblock, Low Light, Razor, Ororo, Wolverine, Beast, and Professor Xavier running hurriedly towards their students and children. They, like the rest of the world, had been freed from their doomed fate of stone and rock, and all of them were now liberated from Trigon's clutches into living beings of flesh and blood. And the teenagers couldn't be any happier. Even the Teen Titans and Titans East were laughing and crying along with the mutants; even though the Joes and the adults weren't their parents, they respected and cared for the grown-ups enough to certainly be overjoyed.

"We're so glad you guys are back!" sniffed Lina as she hugged Cover Girl while Jean knelt down and gave the Professor and her mentor a bone-crushing one, "We were so worried that we wouldn't be able to free you when we all fought against Trigon!"

"_Trigon?_ Who's Trigon?" echoed Blind Master incredulously, lapsing on the real moniker behind "Scath".

"It's a long and groovy story," Forge moaned, still wincing at the thought but knowing that the arduous times were over and behind them, "Let's just leave it that we fought the big, bad demon in a far-out fight for the world and ended up making sure that everything turned out all right."

Low Light then noticed Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth standing quietly and trying to be discreet and separate among the rest of the heroes, and the G.I. Joe sniper narrowed his eyes in suspicion and defensive hostility as he uttered darkly, "Hey, I recognize two of you! You're all from the H.I.V.E. Academy, the same place that sided with Slade and the Hellions!"

The rest of the adults, upon hearing that statement, scrutinized the three teenage nemeses of the Teen Titans with a bit of wariness, but Althea, Raven and Robin stood their ground and dissuaded the adults.

"It's all right," Althea said strongly, "They're on our side…"

"And they've been through enough…the Hellfire Club betrayed their school…" Raven added sadly, and this caused a bit of some surprise (and sympathy). Gizmo just glared back belligerently, showing he wasn't the least bit intimidated by the presence of the adults. Jinx gave a meek wave. Mammoth just looked worn, defeated, and lost as he maintained a blank yet weary expression.

The adults then could discern that all their students and kids were wearing their battle uniforms, that they were covered with grime, muck, and some of them even with blood as they bore heavy bruises and a few torn places in their clothing, their haunted yet triumphant expressions as well as Raven's new look of a white cloak and longer hair, appearing wiser, older, and even a bit beautiful.

"Something tells me we missed out on a significant turn of events with you kids," Hank commented, though one could tell he was worried. Jake and Wolverine both raised an eyebrow, inwardly proud that the students managed to handle themselves without them. Meanwhile, the other kids groaned as the Titans, X-Men, and Misfits all rolled their eyes at the blue-furred Beast.

"You don't know the half of it," Jamie moaned good-naturedly and stifling the urge to guffaw.

**Author's Notes: Check back next Friday for the final chapter of this saga, "This Just Keeps Getting More Complicated, Doesn't It?" What do I mean by this? You'll find out as the mystery about Leomon and the Gathering of Twilight deepens when we see the evil forces are building up. Trust me! This isn't the end but a beginning as I reveal the next crossover in the next chapter! You won't want to miss it! And yes, in the comics, Raven got a purified body when she was reincarnated in the comics, so I'm taking a leaf from that page! And to all those who are wondering, yes, you WILL see Leomon again real soon! As I mentioned, he has a VERY important role in the series and all will be made clear in the end! And speaking of lions, I thought you fans might like to see this screenshot I found recently (check out the top scan):**

**www (dot) kh2 (dot) co (dot) uk**

**Yep, it's official! "Kingdom Hearts 2" will have a Lion King world! Isn't Sora cute as a lion cub?**

**Until then, read, enjoy, and review! And once again, I'm sorry about the lateness of this chapter!**


	11. This Just Keeps Getting More Complicated

**CHAPTER 11: This Just Keeps Getting More Complicated, Doesn't It?**

It was a temporal flux, somewhere beyond the reaches of time, space, and reality, a single anomaly where darkness reigned, the entire surrounding a nebula of purple and black auras against a dark background of murky red. It was almost like being in the nether-regions of outer space, except devoid of any stars and significant sources of light.

Yet the lack of radiance and illumination did not bother Marluxia in the slightest as he waited there in the shadows, feeling the welcome sensation of cool, dry, nothingness seeping among his black leather robe and body. The quiet, the silence, the solitude. Few would ever understand the blessings darkness could actually bring to those in life. And he barely batted an eyelid when a large portal swirled in front of him to reveal two figures stepping through the rift of time and space to their designated engagement.

It was General Silver of the Omega Jugglers and Slade. Marluxia's face still remained just as grim and emotionless as ever, his mouth set into a thin line. Still, a part of the Organization member was a bit anxious in what the Hellfire Club would bring as well…

"Trigon has been defeated and banished back to the dimension where he had been imprisoned," Marluxia stated as he addressed the approaching General Silver and Slade, "But the portal still lives, and now, to make things even more troubling in our campaign, she has gained a new purified body, one that is resurrected from the Power of the Light. The Thirteenth Order and my Superior were not readily delighted with the turn of events."

"Indeed," General Silver sighed with a twinge of frustration, "That was a most surprising setback. Not even the precognition mutant of Eddington was able to warn us of that possible branch in the future of the Teen Titans. Had Oxymandias been able to foresee that the blasted lion would have brought Raven back to life, then we would have been able to anticipate such a possibility and make sure that both the sides of General Hawk and his allies would have only been up to equal match to the Hellfire Club and the Organization, if not dwarfed by our growing strength."

Marluxia gave a very bitter and hard sigh as he said, his voice now resentful, "Still, the Superior has decided on behalf of the Organization that this we can allow to slide. After all, it was not a complete loss, and we did achieve what our main goal to harness the power of the portal."

"Of course," Slade smiled as he held up a small, thin, twinkling object in his hands, "Everything did go according to plan after all. The Misfits, the X-Men, and the Titans have completed their sole duty and defeated Trigon without requiring us or the Hellfire Club to lift a finger, leaving the Earth ripe for the pickings when the Gathering of Twilight arrives, Cadmus has gained much invaluable knowledge from their test subjects that the Hellfire Club provided for them, I have regained my flesh and blood, and we have the vital ingredient we need for the Organization's plans with Experiment 666…"

There, held aloft between Slade's thumb and forefinger, was the tiny, fragile vial of blood, the very vial that Brother Blood had collected from Raven right before he tried to murder the child.

Marluxia's eyes gleamed a bit in triumph as Slade handed the vial to the member of the Thirteenth Order.

"Excellent. The Superior and the Thirteenth Order shall be pleased with this," the brown-haired man said in a satisfied and slightly relieved tone.

"Thanks to Brother Blood's faithful servitude, we now have a means of creating another portal, one that will be far easier to control the Heartless once the Door to the Light is revealed. I can already inform you that Eiling and the Cadmus group are very hopeful at the new possibilities this blood sample can be accomplished with," the military general remarked from the sidelines.

"Such a shame, really…" Marluxia said without much pity, his voice exhibiting no effort in hiding the fact that he could care less, "Brother Blood was undoubtedly loyal and true to the beliefs of the evil that was to come."

General Silver's voice grew chilling as the influential officer beamed a very wicked and sinister smile, saying, "Not really. We still have plenty of leftover material from Kalibak's body to ensure that Brother Blood would not be the _only_ Shaggy Man in the near future. The poor fool will definitely **not** be the last…"

"And of course," Slade chuckled in a light-hearted yet equally disturbing voice, "For with Brother Blood out of the picture, I had no trouble becoming the White Knight of the Hellfire Club, thanks to my success in dealing with the Titans and leading the fools to walk directly into our hands. After all, the less competition for a seat within the Inner Circle, the better."

"Congratulations on your new position," Marluxia couldn't help but remark to Slade despite himself, "It shall certainly take you to higher places, being the Hellfire Club's personal assassin…"

"It suits me at least…for the time being."

Both General Silver and Marluxia could discern the tone of offhandedness, the inkling hint that if the Hellfire Club had no longer continued to interest or assist Slade's agendas, then the deadly masked man would have no problems leaving the influential Inner Circle for more significant lifestyles. And he certainly wouldn't take no for an answer. The Organization member then shifted his scythe over to his other shoulder as the blade of the menacing and sharp weapon shone with an emerald-green sheen, eerily bathing the three of them in a pool of daunting power.

"And this shall suit you as well, then, assassin," Marluxia spoke with great authority as Slade was immersed in the same luminosity as the hooded one's weapon, his entire body enveloped gently with the strange gleaming light and giving the one-eyed human strength and vitality beyond any mortal comprehension. Slade's eye narrowed in disbelief, but also, with growing pleasure and appalling eagerness.

"A gift from the Superior, himself," Marluxia finished as his flower scythe faded into the shadows again, "Apparently, your role in the Organization's plans with the portal pleases him, and as such, he has decided to make you an additional steward to the powers of Darkness. Welcome to the might and strength of the Heartless, Assassin and White Knight of the Hellfire Club. The creatures of Ansem's are yours to control…"

"I must say this **is** a welcome gift. Ever since the hexes from Scarlet Witch, Jinx, and Rogue have cast on me, I have permanently lost the fire powers Trigon had bequeathed me while I was his personal slave to fetch Raven for him. And yet…can't say I certainly miss being in the servitude of that manipulative, four-eyed windbag," Slade commented.

"You'll find the Heartless to be a much more rewarding experience, especially since a solider such as yourself would be vital in killing the Teen Titans and Titans East once the Gathering of Twilight comes to pass," General Silver observed, pondering. Marluxia whipped his head at the Omega Juggler of the United States government, his long mane of thorny, brown hair flying with irritation across his darkened features.

"Unfortunately, that possibility may wane now that the damned warrior known as Leomon has stepped in and ruined everything with his involvement! And the Digital warrior is a far greater threat to our stratagems than Trigon could ever be! The Superior has decided that he will command Blackheart to act now to start with our plans for the Nexus before the swordsman interferes with our carefully-planned arrangements even more!" the hooded man shot back heatedly, his face growing red.

"So soon?" Slade asked, a bit suspicious. The Hellfire Club was not going to like the slight deviation from the original agenda.

"I still do not understand why this Leomon character is such a cause for alarm," the Omega Juggler said in a scoffing yet gravely curious tone, "One lone player on the chessboard is not a huge reason to change tactics and hide in fear. Why should the Hellfire Club be so wary of this lion swordsman?"

Marluxia's jaw clenched in annoyance as he hissed, showing his teeth angrily, "That is because Leomon is a member of the King's royal court, you fool!"

Slade said with a bit of irritated disdain, his voice lackluster, "A king? King _who_, pray tell?"

Marluxia gave the masked fighter a dry yet annoying frown, and the Omega Juggler then realized the connection.

General Silver inhaled sharply as he exclaimed, "No! Not…not **the** King?"

Slade's eye widened a bit in surprise. He and the other members of the Inner Circle had heard rumors about the King…

"So if the King is involved in this…" General Silver muttered.

"Then though our chances of bringing in the Gathering of Twilight to Earth grows stronger, it will additionally welcome in meddling and intervention from the King's other loyal warriors and subjects, especially if the cursed priests come into play and that damned dog finds the Chosen Ones! Thus, while we strengthen the forces of the Organization, we must obtain the Talismans and find the identities of the potential Sovereign and Champion of Earth!"

"That may be easier said than done, Marluxia," Slade muttered, "If the Thirteenth Order cannot determine the identities of the Sovereign and Champion of Twilight, then it is highly unlikely that the Hellfire Club and their associates will be miraculously successful. It could be any human being that resides on Earth, or in a typically prophetic twist, the Sovereign and the Champion may not even be human in the first place. Any one of the heroes from G.I. Joe to the Titans to the mutants to the aliens of the Justice League to, quite possibly, even a hero and soldier who has not crossed us yet but who could still exhibit the qualities of the saviors of Earth."

"And let me not fail to remind the both of you the disaster it would be if even **one** of the Talismans was in the possession of the aforementioned heroes of Earth," Marluxia growled, "Which is why that if we ever wish to maintain the balance of power and even the playing field now that Raven has a purified form, we need to storm the Halliwell manor and obtain the Nexus."

"Let us hope so," General Silver muttered dubiously, "The Charmed Ones will not be easy to take out, especially since they have defeated a good portion of the Externals before. Even Selene is wary of them, and she is no weakling."

Marluxia smiled cunningly as he said, "I wouldn't give the Halliwells much merit. Blackheart is one of the strongest warriors born of the Darkness. And with the Heartless at our command, who could possibly fight them? Even with the Misfits and X-Men and G.I. Joe helping them, the Charmed Ones shall be as good as dead before the Gathering of Twilight and the Nexus shall be ours, to harness by the command of both the Hellfire Club and the Thirteenth Order. However…"

And at this, Marluxia glowered at General Silver and Slade before he continued.

"There may be the possibility that new warriors may arise to aid the Charmed Ones, exactly like how Leomon emerged to help the Titans, the X-Men, and the Misfits, a lone maverick or anomaly we have not anticipated who could turn the tide of battle against us even further. The Thirteenth Order does not want a similar occurrence to happen in this vital part of the war."

General Silver craftily replied, "Oh, the Cadmus group is well-prepared for that possibility. We still have our major trump card should the battle between Blackheart and the Charmed Ones require some assistance in our favor."

"And what number are we at now after our trials with the H.I.V.E. children?" Marluxia asked.

Slade replied, "According to Eiling, the Cadmus group has calculated that we're at number one hundred and seventy nine failed experiments. And with the input of the X-Men, the Misfits, and the Titans' powers and strengths and abilities, they will make sure that the next round of Heartless shall be better equipped to deal these meddling teenagers."

"Excellent," purred Marluxia in satisfaction, "Then all is certainly up to schedule in the planning with the Superior. Gentlemen, tell the Cadmus group and the Hellfire Club to begin the last and final stage to **_Operation Kingdom Hearts_**. Let us initiate our plans for the Nexus and Experiment 666…"

And with that, the meeting had ended.

---

_Experiment 666…_

The short-haired brunette gasped, stifling a scream, as she broke out of her slumber on her desk in her office at _The Bay Mirror _newspaper. The female journalist inadvertently placed her hands over her chest, trying to soothe her beating heart, yet unable to do so for she knew she had another premonition as she was finishing her deadline for the article for tomorrow's edition before midnight.

Yet, her powers of clairvoyance had always been visions, images of the future and awful events and tragedies that could be prevented. Never before in the Wiccan's life had she received a premonition in a way where a prophetic voice talked in a sea of darkness. There was no clue, no hint, not the faintest idea of what it meant or what was to come. And yet the witch knew that no matter how hard she and the other Charmed Ones looked in the Book of Shadows, they would be most likely not to find anything.

Nervously, Phoebe Halliwell looked at the news-clippings she had on her desk in her office strewn out before she dozed off. One of them was a front-page article of _The San Francisco Times_ showing G.I. Joe and the Misfits helping out their efforts to the world during the Asia tsunami along with the caption, "**_Mutants and Humans: Can We Really Stand United?_**". Next to this was another article in _Newsweek_ displaying the X-Men, with Professor Xavier leading the X-Men into battle against the Sentinel that Boliviar Trask built, all of them using their powers to fight against the mechanical monster with great courage and determination. Above this picture was the propaganda title, "**_The Mutant Crisis_**". And next to _this_ was a third clipping from _The Daily Planet_ showing a red-haired, masked-and-caped girl dressed in a bat-like costume and throwing her batarangs next to a beautiful, fair-haired and rosy-lipped teenage girl with wings of flame, a white short-sleeved shirt with a red-and-yellow letter "S" sown into it, and a blue skirt. Both of the females were fighting side-by-side and smiling as a close and trusting duo of friends and comrades. Next to the picture was the headline, "**_Batgirl and Supergirl Foil Intergang_**".

"The Experiment of the Beast…" Phoebe whispered, frowning at the three pictures, not knowing what to feel.

Experiment 666…

What did it mean?

---

Meanwhile, in a quaint academy dormitory somewhere in London…

Willow Rosenberg gasped deeply, waking up in a cold sweat and dressed in her nightgown, as she bolted from her slumber in a sitting position, awaking from her nightmare. The red-haired Wiccan was gripping her sheets in her bed tightly in a fist as she tried to recollect what it was that scared her, petrifying her soul to its very core, as if a single firefly lost in an endless field of impenetrable darkness. Yet to her disappointment (and dread), she couldn't remember it.

"Willow, what's wrong?" asked Kennedy, Willow's lover and personal Slayer as she rose from the bed next to the witch, her long, brown hair cascading down her tanned and perfectly shaped shoulders as she emerged from the warmth of the covers, "What happened?"

Willow rubbed her arms for comfort, still in a half-stupor state from the frozen fear lodged in her brain before she answered softly, "I…I'm not sure, Kennedy. But…I get the feeling…something big is going to happen…"

Kennedy looked alarmed as she then leaned over and rubbed her friend's back as a gesture of reassurance, asking with a bit of readied caution, almost as if every minute of her existence was immediately and automatically prepared for a battle or right, "Big? You mean another Hellmouth or…something evil? Like Caleb? Is the world in danger again? Will, if some big danger is approaching us, can you tell me what it is? Can you remember?"

"I…I don't know. It's so…Argh! It's like I know something's coming but it's so ambiguously clouded and fleeting, I can't even determine what it is!" Willow griped, her breathing starting to become more relaxed, but the dread at the mysterious yet fuzzy recollect of the dream was troubling. A look of fire and grim urgency sparked in Willow's eyes before she promptly flung the blankets off her person and stormed out of bed.

"Call Giles, Faith, and Wood and gather the rest of the Potentials. Tell them and Faith to ready everyone and be prepared for an indefinite trip to San Francisco. I need to start doing some research on anything related to what I can remember from my dream as well as brush up and reference any powerful spells we might need for our fight."

"So it's another Hellmouth? We're going into another war with the First?" Kennedy asked suspiciously as she hurriedly put on a T-shirt.

"God help us, I wish it was," murmured Willow, "Because whatever I sensed, it's a sign of something big, something powerful coming, like an unstoppable army that transcends vampires and all the evil creatures we've faced before. Something even stronger than the First and the Hellmouth. A **lot** stronger…"

---

Meanwhile, it was a beautiful day at Jump City, the entire town bustling with the everyday busybody activities of life, shopping, working, conversing, enjoying the normal day-to-day occurrences typical for men, women, and children. With the cloudless sky offering warm sunlight in the cool air bathing the metropolis from the nearby ocean, not a single civilian was aware of how close they came to being doomed for eternity under a fanatical demon conqueror thanks to a group of power-hungry, ruthless tyrants.

And for Raven's sake, she hoped it would stay that way, and should such an occurrence ever arise again, she would be willing to fight with all of her strength for Earth's salvation.

The white-cloaked Titan stood on the roof of the Titans Towers, closing her eyes and letting the cool breeze and the salt-air dull her senses and recollect the turn of horrific events with some ease now. It had only been a day after the battle with Trigon and the Armageddon, but Raven knew her life couldn't have been more dramatically altered. The Misfits, the X-Men, and the Joes were already packed and planning to leave for back home after the big, celebratory lunch they would all have together later today. All the Titans were sorry to see them go, Raven most of all.

It wasn't every day you found people willing to fight a thousand-foot demon for you, and Raven knew she was additionally lucky to have found a deeper level of companionship through Scarlet Witch and Rogue (all three of them already exchanged e-mails and phone numbers with promises of keeping in touch on a regular basis).

It was funny, being able to submit a bit more to her emotions than her past body ever did. True, she would always need to keep her powers and dark side in check through meditation and absolute self-control, but the telekinetic also knew that the purified body of light she gained was a bit more flax in the desperate needs and rigors. She could feel and show joy and sadness and anger to a relatively greater extent than before, and the euphoria of being free to live like, well, like a normal teenager was enough to thrill her and not be such a stone-cold, deadpanned wooden puppet.

It was a true gift, that simple freedom of emotion. And though Raven could admit she would always have some resentment and affront to the fact that Leomon was sent to kill her, it was easily dwarfed by the gratitude and touched concern she now felt for the lion, for what he did. She hoped to Azar that Leomon wouldn't suffer greatly for her sake; Raven didn't want to live with the guilt.

She then felt another presence slowly appear next to her on the rooftop of the headquarters, a mere shadow and elusive, ghostly even, but Raven smiled to herself as she looked upon the specter of Arella, translucent and a spirit of the dead, clad in her white robe and her long black hair billowing down her shoulders. Arella, though she had tears of regret in her eyes, reached out and touched Raven's cheek, her vaporous hand as indistinct as a zephyr of wind.

"_You've grown so much, Raven,_" Arella whispered, her voice echoing softly and fading.

Raven duly noted that fact, that she was now slightly taller and her hair was longer than before, making her more feminine and stunning than her old body. Raven managed to give a snort of amusement as she replied, "Like daughter, like mother. I like the new look, so I'll be keeping it for a while, as a reminder that it's all right to grow up, that I now have a future that can't be formed by destiny."

Arella sniffed, her eyes now growing misty as she said with remorse, "_And it was a lesson I had learned too late. I am glad you have found a family and a circle of friends who are courageous and true, more than the monks of Azarath could ever provide for your well-being and benefit. And…I was a fool, a horrid excuse for a mother and a parent, to sacrifice you in order to try to save your life. I am truly sorry, Raven._"

Raven sniffed, her eyes prickling. She hated good-byes too.

"_Can you forgive, for what I have done, for how I could not protect you, for failing you? I know I do not deserve it, and I will not force you to do anything against your will. You are rightfully entitled to your anger if you wish to keep it, my daughter,_" Arella whispered.

Raven held her elbows as she said, after some deliberate thought, "I…I can't answer that, Mother. That betrayal, that hurt…it can't just go away instantly just because everything turned out all right. I can't lie and say that I feel fine about the whole thing because I don't. I can't say that I forgive you just because you're my family because the pain is still raw inside me. I don't hate you, Mother. I just…give me some time."

Arella nodded, but Raven then softened the blow a bit.

"I still love you, though" Raven sniffed, stubbornly holding her mouth in a deadpanned line. Arella smiled, knowing that sentence was satisfactory enough as the spirit of the priestess then leaned over and kissed Raven on the forehead. Raven fought the urge to chuckle as her face grew serious and she regained her usual sarcastic wit and deadpanned expression.

"Let's not spoil this with mushy moments, Mother," she complained good-naturedly. Arella nodded before she mouthed a farewell and faded in the sunlight, leaving the witch of the Teen Titans to stonily look on as she was left alone on the Titans Tower. Raven made her way downstairs, her heart secretly and noticeably lighter.

Meanwhile, the adults of the X-Men and the Misfit handlers were conversing in a private meeting with each other in one of the sectors on the lower levels of the Titans Tower. They had already been briefed from the numerous eyewitness accounts of the students and the Titans more than adequately to realize the unknown yet potential threat the Hellfire Club was planning (and not to mention that Raven was able to recount everything she remembered when she left for Azarath once the secrets of her heritage were discovered)

"So how are we so far?" Wolverine muttered, his arms crossed over his chest in a gruff posture.

Xavier looked slightly pained as he formed a steeple with his clasped hands, stating with some sadness, "The Misfit handlers along with the G.I. Joe soldiers General Hawk sent to aid us during the clean-up managed to clandestinely bag and collect every single Heartless organism and H.I.V.E. student that had perished in the fight caused by the Hellions and Trigon, and Batman and the Titans made sure that the general public of Jump City did not suspect anything odd of the sort. As much it disturbs me to say this, we've just finished all traces of what the Hellfire Club inflicted on the city and on H.I.V.E Academy. We were even able to destroy the remnants and parts of the demolished Sentinels during the Armageddon."

"Too bad we couldn't find any of the Hellions and Slade," Roadblock growled darkly in verse, still troubled, "The Hellfire Club can't get away with the mess they made. Children died and got turned into abominations, and if we don't stop them soon, there may be more deaths caused from these experimentations. Leomon wasn't kidding when he said we're not free and clear, and with this Gathering of Twilight approaching, it could mean the _real_ end of Earth, I fear."

"And unfortunately, we can't find out what the Hellfire Club is trying to achieve by bringing the Heartless or by accepting Slade and Brother Blood into their society of authority and power," Jake pondered as he frowned, tracing a circle on the counter with a claw idly, "And from what it sounds, things are going to get a lot worse, especially since this leaves the Hellions and the Hellfire Club to make their next move before we can even anticipate. And unlike a lot of the enemies we've dealt with before, this makes 'em a heck of a lot more ruthless and dangerous, especially if they were willing to bring forth an Armageddon just to get a blood sample from Raven, though kats above only know what they could possibly use it for."

"Wait, what about Tessa, Charles?" Ororo asked as she turned to her mentor, "You sent her to spy on Sebastian Shaw in the first place, and she may be able to provide insight on what the Inner Circle is attempting to plan with this Gathering of Twilight."

Professor Xavier sighed, "Unfortunately, I cannot, Storm. Not only have I lost contact with Tessa, but any attempts to contact her might give away her secrets in the Hellfire Club and expose her, thus inadvertently endangering her life should the Inner Circle ever discover that she is a spy. And after everything I have done for her and how I had hurt her by not allowing her to join the X-Men, I cannot do that under any circumstances, even if it could prove fruitful."

"Nor should you," Blind Master said in strong agreement, "Tessa is in no danger from what we know of, and as much as it may seem like, she'll always be loyal to you and your cause, Professor."

Xavier's jaw dropped as well as Ororo and Logan's upon the surprising assertion, much to Jake and Hank's confusion. Logan sputtered, "How the hell did you know Tessa is a spy for Xavier in the Hellfire Club? And for that matter, how the hell did you even know about **_Tessa_**! Only me, Chuck, and Ororo knew of her!"

Shipwreck gave a serious, grim expression, not typical of his normal goofy self as he said, "Don't worry, G.I. Joe and General Hawk know how to keep secrets, and as how we found out, well…let's just say you weren't the only ones who tried sending spies into the Hellfire Club. And unlike Tessa, ours got discovered."

Hank's eyes went wide as he asked, shivering with dread, "Are they…? They aren't…?"

"They're fine," Low Light said strongly, "They were able to get out of there before the Hellfire Club could exact punishment on them, and thanks to our help, we were able to hide them so that not even the Inner Circle knows of their whereabouts. Trust us, Professor, when we say that we have our own secrets to hide in G.I. Joe as well."

"And how about Brother Blood? Any chance we can bring him back to normal and 'convince' him to tell us what he knows about the Hellfire Club's plans?" Shipwreck asked. Hank sighed as he shook his head.

"Negative on that. We already had the Professor and Lifeline try to delve into his mind, trying to see if we can find any clues or fragments that could reveal to us what the Hellfire Club and the Inner Circle is planning, but there's nothing to salvage. When Raven and her mother telepathically fought with him, Brother Blood's mind completely shattered as a result, leaving him with no such consciousness or mental brainwave activity at all. In other words, this is a classic case of the lights being on but nobody is home…and the effect, I'm afraid to say, is irreversible. Though he will be quite comfortable in the Steel City mental institution, he won't ever recover. His mind is permanently fractured and broken, and he cannot even feed himself nor make a coherent sentence a five-year old could easily produce verbally. And I'd doubt the Hellfire Club will want to salvage him this time; to them, he must have already served his purpose."

"Great, so we're pretty much back to square one," muttered Cover Girl, grousing as she then ticked off with her fingers one by one, "And from what we know, there's more to come. Lex Luthor, nemesis of the Justice League, is a member of the Inner Circle and he helps them by freeing the Phoenix Force from the M'Kraan crystal while distracting Superman and the others from interfering with Apokolips. Slade and Brother Blood get their membership because they were able to help the Hellions fight the Titans not to mention coerce H.I.V.E. into sacrificing the students to form Heartless. So that just leaves this incredibly-powerful demon called Blackheart sent by some mysterious organization that calls itself the Thirteenth Order, according to Raven's testimony. So whatever this Blackheart guy has to do for the Hellfire Club, it'll be a doozy to be sure."

"And it may lead to more deaths of innocents, exactly like H.I.V.E. Academy got caught in the crossfire," Professor Xavier murmured as he and the other adults recollected the remainder of H.I.V.E. Academy once Trigon had been successfully banished…

_The Teen Titans, Titans East, the X-Men, the Misfits, and the G.I. Joes (both the teenagers and the adults) stood among the rubble and dead bodies of what used to be the prestigious school of future villains and terrorists as they all stood, facing the Hivemistress and her surviving student body. Both parties stood opposite of each other, running a gamut of feelings and thoughts. The H.I.V.E. trio, Jinx, Gizmo, and Mammoth just stood symbolically in the sidelines, shunned by their former classmates._

_"As much as we are grateful for avenging the deaths of those who fell victim to the Heartless and the Hellfire's treachery, I cannot say I am absolutely pleased at you three for siding yourselves with our greatest enemies. Your actions have only further disgraced the legacy of H.I.V.E. Academy," the woman said in a clearly disapproving voice, her face stern and her eyes narrowed. Jinx looked hurt while Gizmo just belligerently glared back at the old woman. Mammoth was rather despondent as he looked on blankly._

_"You know, if it wasn't for their help, H.I.V.E. would have easily perished from living under a world under Trigon's rule. At least Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo fought to make sure you and the rest of your students have a home and a world to continue living in," Blind Master said in a tightly restrained and simmering voice._

_"Which is precisely why I'm not expelling them," the Headmistress snapped back, undaunted. The H.I.V.E. trio looked surprised, shocked even as their superior continued in a grim tone to the heroes._

_"We shall all go into hiding, away from the prying eyes of the Hellfire Club while we rebuild and restore H.I.V.E. back to its former glory, a complete restructure of the organization itself. Though we thank you for the meager assistance, this changes nothing between H.I.V.E. and the Titans. And coincidentally, we will also not hesitate to attack the X-Men and the Misfits should they ever get in our way."_

_"You have a nice way of saying 'thank you', you know?" snapped Tabitha with her hands on her hips Yet Speedy and Cyborg were disturbed by what the headmistress of the school had just said.._

_"Rebuild H.I.V.E. Academy?" echoed the half-robot Titan incredulously, "With **what**?"_

_"Since we were able to discover that Brother Blood was a probationary member of the Hellfire Club, some of my students were able to hack directly into his accounts and holdings to discover links to a secret account reserved from the Hellfire Club thanks to Lexcorp and Shaw Industries embezzling large amounts of money from the ruin of H.A.T.E. A very lucrative account, I might add. Luthor and Frost shall find it to be completely empty, and the money shall be put to good use for us to reform and reshape what we have lost. I consider it a reimbursement to compensate what they stole from us…"_

_"That's it?" gasped Speedy in horror, "You mean you're not going to stay and bury your dead, help us see to it that the kids and adults that died from the Heartless experimentation are properly buried and taken care of?"_

_"It is no concern of mine and far too painful. And besides, that's what heroic fools such as all of you are for," the Headmistress shot back coolly._

_"What's wrong with you?" demanded Xi angrily, his tongue flicking in a snakelike manner as he spat out his indignation laced with bile, "These are your own students, kids you raised since the beginning! Don't you have any heart? Don't you even care?"_

_"I do," the woman replied with detached steel, "But I cannot ignore the plight of my surviving students when we need to flee now before it is too late for us to make a safe and comfortable escape. And as tragic as this is, we wouldn't be a school of villains if we allowed ourselves to become emotional and fragile to the dead, especially since it makes no difference how we help those we cannot bring back. I must protect the living and concentrate on keeping the surviving classes safe."_

_"Bet the money makes it easier for you to say things like that, huh?" Cover Girl said in a very disapproving and disgusted tone. The Headmistress ignored the female soldier from G.I. Joe as she turned to Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo._

_"You three students have a choice: come with us or live out the rest of your life as a disgraced outcast of the school."_

_Mammoth and Gizmo started walking automatically, though the Titans and the mutants could tell that their hearts weren't really in it. Jinx, however, resolutely remained still as she cried out, protesting, at her two best friends._

_"Milkron, Baran!" she gasped in shock, "You can't! Selinda died because of her, because of what she believed, because of how H.I.V.E. sacrificed her and the other students for prestige and power! Please, you guys, don't go! **Please!**"_

_Gizmo gave Jinx a baleful look as he muttered with scorn, "So what's the alternative, Jinx? Join the Titans? Be a sickening, goody two-shoes, puke-filled hero and fight for the wimpy, pink, fluffy, scuzz-sucking side of good and justice? Please. I'd rather go with H.I.V.E."_

_Mammoth looked more pained, however, as he turned to Jinx and said softly, "It's harder to change ourselves, Jinx, and for what? Living as a hero isn't going to satisfy us in life and it's not going to make us feel better about leaving H.I.V.E. We'd never be trusted if we joined the Titans or G.I. Joe. We can't live like that, Jinx. It's **not** us."_

_Jinx's eyes were brimming with angry tears as her lower lips quivered, her hands twitching before she held her elbows and looked down with hurt and shame at the rocks and floor. She did not make an attempt to walk with them towards H.I.V.E. Academy. Mammoth and Gizmo understood the gesture._

_"You're not coming with us, are you?" Mammoth asked, though from the tone of his voice, he wasn't surprised in the slightest. If anything, Robin was a bit startled to hear a hint of relief in the ape-man's voice. Jinx shook her head. The Hivemistress' eyes narrowed in anger._

_"Then consider yourself expelled, Jinx," she declared in a final tone, "From this moment on, you are no longer welcome at our haven nor have you ever existed as one of H.I.V.E.'s graduates, and if you ever attempt to return, we will kill you."_

_Jinx clenched her eyes shut as she let the tears run down her face. It was still painful even though she was bracing herself for it._

_"Students, let us leave," the Hivemistress said simply, and with that order, the gray-haired woman and her surviving brood turned and left, walking over the rubble to destinations unknown and disappearing into the distance. However, some of the X-Men and Titans and Misfits were quick to notice some of the students were giving Jinx farewell glances of gratitude and sympathy. Jinx looked crushed as she stood there, watching her school abandon her, but then Mammoth and Gizmo clandestinely want up to the pink-haired witch before they followed after their classmates. Mammoth knelt and gave Jinx a bone-crushing hug of friendship, letting her know that she wouldn't lose him as he whispered in her ear._

_"Thanks for always looking out for my sister, Jinx. Be sure to find Selinda a nice burial place where there's lots of daises. She always loved daisy wildflowers…"_

_Gizmo just wordlessly held Jinx's hands, his eyes blank and unresponsive to Jinx's teary ones as Jinx then felt Gizmo drop something foreign and cold in her palms. With that done, Baran and Mikron took off, following the tail of the remainder of H.I.V.E. academy. Jinx looked on blankly before she then uncurled her slim fingers to see the present Gizmo bequeathed to her._

_It was a small, dark-blue communicator. Not a H.I.V.E.-regulated one, but one of Gizmo's most prized and secretive communicators, a tool that was near undetectable and could only be used by the H.I.V.E. trio as their own personal line, set apart from everything else and without the Headmistress' knowledge. Jinx smiled as the tears fell through and dripped down her cheeks._

_It was a final testament of Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth's friendship, that small yet available line of keeping touch. Even though they couldn't stay together, they wouldn't forget each other. Not by a long shot._

"And what of Jinx?" Ororo asked, realizing that she had almost forgotten about the witch who helped them, "Where is she to go? She cannot go back to H.I.V.E. Academy after they had so heartlessly forsaken her, and she apparently has no family to seek refuge from."

"She'll be all right," Spirit replied, "General Hawk knew that she would be uncomfortable joining the Titans, especially with the large possibility of having to face her friends. After what they have gone through, we didn't want to put them in that situation, especially when we can see that despite being separated, Jinx, Mammoth, and Gizmo mean the world to each other. They've gone through enough. So Jinx is going to join a special family General Whithalf and some of the Joes has adopted somewhere along the West Coast. Whithalf says she'll be well-taken care of and that he and the other Joes will treat her like a daughter."

"That's a relief," Beast said, nodding.

Meanwhile, the Titans, the X-Men, and the Misfits were preparing for their last good-byes…

"Hey, Robin?" Ray asked tentatively. The black-haired masked teen turned to the mutant.

"Yeah?"

"I…I wanted to apologize, for what I said to Starfire earlier when we first met after we fought with the Hellions and Slade at Jump City Bay, for freaking out when I found out she was an alien. I'm sorry I was being a jerk back then."

Robin warmly smiled his trademark, devil-may-care grin as he said with grace, "Apology accepted, Ray."

"She's really one in an million, isn't she?" Ray murmured as he and Robin watched the red-haired alien girl play eagerly with Lockheed and Silkie (the purple dragon of Kitty was now incredible infatuated with the Tamaranean), "Not to mention that now that I think about it…she **is** kinda hot."

"Sorry, Bezerker, but she's taken," Robin playfully growled, letting the X-Teen know that he and Starfire have a close relationship that was growing beyond mere friendship.

"Hey, you can't blame me, Robin," smiled Ray, "Starfire **is** cute...Hey! Does she have a sister? Maybe I can try dating her and see if she'd be willing to go out with an Earthling?"

Robin easily grimaced at the thought of Blackfire.

"Ray," he said in self-amused pain, "I'll only say this once: you're better off not knowing Starfire's sister."

At the same time, Mas y Menos were running around the operations center and causing chaos while somehow were miraculously speaking _in English_…

"Please come visit us in Steel City! We got to show you X-Men and Misfits our Titans Tower!" Mas declared in an excited, perfectly normal-sounding English version on his regular Hispanic voice.

"And we still have to do target practice with our new glovatrixes that Razor gave us!" Menos happily exclaimed in English as he waved around his white and red glove-apparatus that Jake had carefully built for the two speedsters of Titans East as gifts.

"So how is it that we're able to understand them?" Jamie asked Forge and Cyborg as they watched the scene from the kitchen counter, sitting on stools.

"They're wearing specially designed voice-modulators and translators around their necks," Forge said as the twins were running circles around the kitchen, causing a general mess, "I built then last night when the idea came to me that a lot of people could be better off if they could get someone to translate what they were always saying like how Cover Girl did while we stayed here since she's fluent in Spanish. Well, since we were leaving, I thought these groovy babies could help the Titans. As long as Mas and Menos wear them, the voice circuitry in the modulators will translate every single word they say into accurate English without making them sound lifeless or mechanical. And the glovatrixes Jake gave to them to give them an edge in battle since super-speed isn't a gnarly offensive power."

Cyborg looked at Forge in disbelief before his red, mechanical eye twitched ever so slightly as he said, "Let me get this straight. Y'all gave two incredibly irresponsible and hyperactive midgets with mouths and feet faster than their brains destructive firearms that can fire missiles and Lord knows what else that can potentially send the Tower to rubble in days?"

Forge got the message as he winced. The X-Man then meekly said, "Now that I think about it, it wasn't one of our better ideas, was it?"

**KABOOM!**

"Oops, sorry about that!" Menos yelled as he and the others viewed the smoking hole in the wall formed from his glovatrix misfiring, "I accidentally jolted the trigger button!"

"Gee, what gave you that idea, Forge?" Jamie drawled as he gave Forge a deadpanned glare.

Meanwhile, Althea was just standing next to the metal railing of a nearby wharf that was an outlet from the channel that originated from Jump City Bay, holding her elbows in a rare display of vulnerability and unease as she watched the beautiful water sparking under the bright, cloudless sky, the gleam of the sea dancing across her face.

She remembered Spirit telling her once that when the body longed for the appearance of water, it meant that their souls were nervous, not at rest, and troubled.

There was no doubt in Althea's mind why she was so troubled…and it wasn't from the battle with Trigon or the discovery of the H.I.V.E. Academy. Thus, that was why she needed to be outside the tower.

"Hey…Althea?" a tentative voice spoke behind her, and Althea inwardly counted to ten, not sure if she could resist the urge to bash Aqualad's face in if she turned around and met his gaze. As a passive move, the Misfit leader just continued to stare at the ocean water, gripping the metal railing in front of her and leaning heavily as she answered back with some annoyance, not even bothering to face the Atlantian prince.

"What do you want, Garth?" she muttered, not bothering to hide the venom in her voice.

The violet-eyed member of Titans East was sullen and a bit reluctant, but he knew this needed to be said, so he inhaled deeply a bit before saying with sincerity, "I wanted to thank you for saving my life when we fought against the Sentinels and Trigon. It…I really didn't expect it, and you really had no reason to - "

"It's done and over with, Garth. You said your thanks, I acknowledged it, so go away with your own life and let me get on with mine," the hydrokinetic said shortly, brusquely, and Garth felt his temper perk up a bit.

"By the seven seas, you can't ever take a compliment, can you?" he snapped, hands on his hips, "I'm trying to be nice here!"

"And you think one 'thank you' is going to make me feel better about what happened in the past, to what you called me and my Pops and how the Atlantian Council treated us when we tried to ask them to stop my mom and your uncle? You think one 'thank you' is going to erase that hate I feel for you?" Althea said, and her voice was deadly frigid, almost as if lowering the temperature around them by several degrees. Garth then looked remorseful as he frowned and sourly looked at the ground to the side.

He absolutely hated being reminded of that.

"I was younger then," Aqualad sighed with cross resentment, "Back then, I completely adored my family and my uncle, to the point that I would do anything for them and believe everything that they said, their ideals, their rituals, without question. If my uncle told me that your mother would be much happier being his wife in Atlantis, then of course I'd trust his judgment. I trusted him, and I didn't trust you, an outsider and a topsider, one of the most dubious and underhanded threats to our city and its culture. I was just following my uncle's philosophies and my family's loyalty for each other. I didn't mean any harm by it."

"So all those names you called me when I entered into your city was supposed to be a family honor? So how the Atlantians looked down on my Dad and called him a pitiful drunk, a useless village idiot, a man not worthy to bear children to a pig much less my mother was supposed to be a good thing that was supposed to be all in innocent fun? So the lies Namor and Aquaman spread that slandered my father and justified my mother marrying your uncle because she supposedly ran away from an 'abusive' family life was really made with no intention of harm?"

Althea's knuckles turned white from gripping the railing so hard. Garth now looked really pained and guilty as he then admitted the conflict he felt about that.

"Althea," Aqualad began, "You know Atlantian culture would have never respected and acknowledged Mara as an honorary civilian of our city and my uncle's betrothed if they ever found out that she left one man for another. And Aquaman and Namor needed my uncle at the time because he was a powerful mystic and a great help to protecting the city and a prominent member of the Council. They didn't need the incoming scandal and indignity causing gossip and dissention among the city over my uncle's marriage, so they allowed the stories and lies about your father being a drunk, a letch, and an abusive husband so that the Atlantian society would pity Mara, make them sympathize with her and welcome her to the fold as a victim who needed healing, who needed love and tenderness. Granted, it's not the best way to get people to like and accept you, but it was better than being known as a gold-digger who wanted a life free from her mutant kids and army husband. Aquaman and Namor knew that this wasn't honorable, but they needed to follow the greater good of Atlantis. And they can't sacrifice my uncle's happiness or the peace and unity of the city over your father's well-being. It's just they wanted to go with what was the best choice for everyone, what was the better good."

There was a lengthy pause between the Titan and the mutant, but it was apparent that Althea was not willing to continue to conversation any longer. Aqualad felt a bit irritated as he said without thought, "You know, it's not entirely bad. You and your family did get paid well in the divorce settlement - "

"**_Don't go there, Garth._**"

The Titan stopped, a bit shocked at the intensity of Althea's feral growl in the sentence, so powerful it could have knocked down a brick wall, before he then realized how crude that comment was, so he backpedaled gracefully.

"You're right, that was tactless of me…" he muttered before continuing strongly, "But for what it's worth…I **am** truly sorry. About everything. About how my family wronged yours, how I called you names and insulted you and your father when you both came to Atlantis to stop Mara, and how I was acting to you overall during this whole trip between the Hellions and Trigon."

After a few minutes of tense silence, in which Garth wasn't sure if Wavedancer accepted the apology or not, Althea then spoke.

"Is she happy?" she asked softly, so soft Aqualad could barely hear her.

"What?" Garth asked, taken aback. Althea repeated it, puncturing each work with lucid frustration as if she was trying to stab each syllable with her knife.

"**_Is she happy?_**"

Garth hesitated a bit before he answered truthfully, "I think so. She and my uncle love each other very much, and of course, his riches and his status as a respected councilman in Atlantis is enough to give her a lot of satisfaction and respect and importance, so it's a good life for her. She's never miserable, at least from what I've seen, and she seems pretty well-adjusted to her new life. And…"

He stopped. Could he...should he tell Althea?

By the Gods of Atlantis forgive him, this wasn't going to be easy to say, but Garth forced himself to tell it.

"…and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy a year ago. He's the pride and joy of both Mara and my uncle. Althea…you have a half-brother in Atlantis now. His name is Ceridian."

The Misfit leader's body stiffened, so still that one could easily carve a replica out of ice and stone, as she just blankly looked at the ocean, her black hair with blue highlights limply fluttering behind her neck. Aqualad looked at the Misfit leader worriedly before Althea then spoke at last.

"Does my Dad know? Did you tell him?"

Aqualad nodded, replying, "He had a right to, and he asked me specifically when he visited me in the infirmary after you and Speedy beat me up while you were staying with us at the Titans Tower. I just told him and no one else except you at this point. Shipwreck took it well. It was as if…well, as if he expected it. But he doesn't have any bad feelings. He told me that me and Ceridian are welcome to visit him at the Pit should we ever want. Your Dad let me know pretty clearly that he didn't blame me or anyone else from my family that weren't a part of breaking up him and Mara, and that he hopes Ceridian has a good life in Atlantis. Said he even hopes to meet him someday."

"That's my Pops," Althea said huskily, "He's got a temper and he's a brawler, but he knows where the blame goes when the stakes are laid out. He's not unreasonable when he wants to be."

"Your Dad's a good man," Garth said, "Eventually, he'll find someone who'll be very lucky to have him in her life."

And with that, Aqualad left, leaving Althea to ponder aimlessly with thoughts about her family and her father. She wasn't so sure what to feel about what she had just learned.

Later that day, with all the members of the Teen Titans, the Titans East, the teenage X-Men, and the Misfits gathered at the Jump City pizzeria, all of the seated around a large table…

"You're all honorary Teen Titans!" Robin declared proudly as the X-Men and the Misfits admired the yellow and black communicators the Titans had bequeathed to them as gifts. Each member of both mutant teams had their own personal link to both Titans Towers in Jump and Steel City, and these gifts of goodwill only strengthened the notion that despite the horrors they had witnessed, they emerged out of this as true allies and friends, companions they could trust and fight alongside each other for the greater good.

"Wow, thanks a lot!" Blob marveled.

"And here, these are from the X-Men," Scott replied as he and the X-Men gave all of the Titans communicators that linked to the X-Mansion and the Institute's transmission and communication systems.

"And these are to say everyone from the Teen Titans and Titans East are honorary Misfits, yo!" Todd said as he and the other Misfits gave teleportation watches to the members of the Teen Titans and Titans East, automatically horning on the X-Men presentation. Cyclops glared at the brown-haired boy with the evil eye as he rumbled back in a dangerous, offended tone.

"No, they're honorary X-Men, Toad…" Scott said with gritted teeth.

"No, they're honorary Misfits, Summers," growled Toad with equal strength.

"No, X-Men, Toad…" Scott shot back.

"Like anyone would want to be a stuffy X-Geek over a Misfit!" Lance growled, and not surprisingly, this led to another mother of all arguments as most of the members from both of the Misfits and the X-Men were heatedly yelling and jabbing at each other mercilessly. A few such as Jamie, Tabitha, Lina, Fred, and Justin wisely kept out of it, watching silently from the sidelines.

"Do you still think that fighting is a healthy thing?" Hank sighed wearily. Bumblebee gave Beast a sardonic look, raising one eyebrow.

"You're forgetting the idiots I have to deal with, Mr. McCoy," she replied as both of them turned to Mas and Menos, who were currently fighting tooth and nail with each other.

"Hey, I'm going to ask Kitty out on a date!" Mas snapped as he wrestled Menos to the ground.

"No way! She's rather go out with me, the good-looking twin as compared to you, donkey-face!" Menos shot back as he kicked his brother off him before rushing towards Kitty with love-struck eyes. Unfortunately, Mas immediately zoomed back up to trip his brother before he even got close to Shadowcat.

"Give it up, blockhead! She's mine!" Mas snapped.

"No, she's mine!" Menos snapped as they continued to brawl and wrestle. Kitty groaned as she heard this, cradling her head in her hands.

"I like swear I'm so cursed when it comes to totally attracting other guys!" she moaned.

"Suddenly, I miss the good ol' days when we _weren't_ able to understand them," groaned Speedy.

"For truth!" Starfire declared as the pizzas and sodas finally arrived for them all, a huge feast of pastry, salad, and drinks to feed a Third World army.

"For justice!" Sam said happily.

"And for the last slice of pizza!" Jamie cheered.

"No, for the last cup of B.A.'s coffee!" Raven yelled in exuberant glee.

"_Hear, hear!_"

"Oh no…" groaned the adults, wincing and realizing it was too late as all the teenagers, including Raven and Rogue this time, took a hearty swig through their coffee mugs that they suddenly pulled out of thin air. Pietro and Trinity must have somehow smuggled in another sack of the stuff.

Needless to say, due to the amount of destruction and unforeseeable devastation during the following hour or two, the Jump City pizzeria needed to be closed down for repairs for several weeks…

---

Meanwhile, somewhere along the coast of California, the ex-H.I.V.E. student and pink-haired witch named Jinx was being led around a covert and well-protected military base by General Whithalf, the gray-haired general showing her around with good-humored absentmindedness and bumbling compassion. Still, it was apparent that despite being on an army station, Jinx oddly enough felt a sort of peaceful safety around the land.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Whithalf asked, noticing Jinx's apparent nervousness.

"I guess it'll be a while before I can really feel at home here…or anywhere else for that matter, sir," Jinx confessed, nearly lapsing on her respectful address to her superior, but Whithalf chuckled as he led the witch to a cozy and homey-looking red-brick house, which looked more adequate in a suburbia neighborhood rather than a military base. Jinx was a bit startled to see such a building being so out of place in the middle of tanks, weaponry, armored vehicles, and jets.

"Well, we know what you've just been through, so we'll see to it that you are well cared for and don't have to worry about fighting or anything of the sort. We just want you to recuperate and live the rest of your life as you can as a normal teenager without needing to worry about the Hellfire club or H.I.V.E. attempting to hunt you down. Ah, I see the troops are ready to welcome you into your new family. Jinx, my girl, say hi to your fellow teammates!"

Jinx then saw a well-built but young teenage boy with a blue, eight-pointed star birthmark over his right eye and wearing a KISS T-shirt and torn jeans standing in the doorway along with several other mutants on the front porch of the house. Some were unrecognizable to her, though Jinx could make out, to her surprise, the famous band the Superstars as well as Lila Cheney. But it was the leader wearing the KISS T-shirt that got her attention the most as he walked up to Jinx as an official liaison to the group of strangers as he held Jinx's hand, emanating an aura of protective yet sincere kindness and concern for their new arrival.

"Welcome to the West Coast Misfits, Jinx," Ace Starr said gently, his voice deep and feral, but slightly comforting as well. The pink-haired witch, after so many harrowing and tragic moments, smiled a beam of relief at last.

_The End_

**Author's Notes: Ace Starr and General Whithalf aren't mine! They are the respective properties fellow authors Red Witch and L1701E! But like I have mentioned before, this isn't over, not by a long shot! And Ceridian isn't mine either; yes, I know he's supposed to be Aqualad's son, but I wanted to twist this so that it could provide a link to a future visit to Atlantis at some point! Prepare for the next crossover when the Misfits, the Joes, and the X-Men really go through the wringer in the upcoming "Charmed" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (post Season Seven) crossover!**

**Misfits, X-Men and Joes: AGAIN? We have to go through another crossover of torture? After everything we went through in THIS one?**

**Kurt (begging on his knees): God, if you're listening, please save us from the insane imagination of this maniac!**

**Robin: Oh God, why is this lunatic so dedicated to writing and torturing us? Can't he be like the other slackers and get lazy at uploading chapters like any other normal and balanced slob?**

**Quiet, all of you! Wow, I can't believe I just finished this crossover! Anyway, expect one or two one-shots before the next stage in the path to the Gathering of Twilight! To my faithful and fantastic reviewers:**

**Red Witch:** _Again, this fanfic would have never happened if it wasn't for your wonderful universe you've given me the grace and imagination to write about, so thank you, and hope you're pleased with how I'm writing so far because in no way to I wish to tarnish the fan-world you've created. And yes, I had to bring in the "Puddles" reference for Althea; it's so cute! As for Lina falling for Bobby, well…let's just say Bobby's going to be hard competition for Fred soon since this is a love triangle. And a small suggestion: get the Playstation 2; the games "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts 2" alone would be worth it (and I know how much you're a Disney fan)! And I hope you're all right with Althea having a half-brother subplot!_

**Asha-man72:** _Yes, I know how long you've been wanting to read this crossover; you've been eager for it ever since I made a mention of the Teen Titans in "A Light..." so I wrote it specifically with you in mind. And also, you're the best and most faithful reviewer for the past year ever since I started typing this Misfit-verse, especially since the reviews give me more encouragement to write well and faithfully. And yes, I still laugh at the thought of Starfire kneeing Beef in the family jewels. And I'm glad you liked how I brought in Leomon, but I have to admit, you're the first person ever in my knowledge to make comparisons between Raven/Leomon as Golem/Bilbo from "Lord of the Rings"! Glad you clued in as to who is Leomon's boss; you'll find out why things are happening they way they are soon enough with the King (trust me, things aren't always what they appear)! As for which version of Ghostbusters, you will be pleasantly surprised since I know how much you like well-written crossovers. And thanks for noticing my one-year anniversary!_

**Sparky Genocide:** _Again, I'm glad you have been here with my stories since I started writing about the Misfit-verse, and you're also one of the best people I could ever have with me in my fan-fiction writing days. And will the Misfits/X-Men battle the Legion of Doom? I've had no plans for it…but the more I think about it, perhaps after the Kingdom Hearts crossover. It is a lucrative idea. And yes, though it won't be apparent until later, Raven will be supportive and close to Leomon despite what her friends will say (after all, he did save her life even though there will be consequences doing it). I know you like argument scenes and let me just hint that when the Kingdom Hearts saga comes, things will really get ugly between the Misfits and X-Men. And Lance may be biased about Leomon, but Leomon will not be an enemy as I have hinted in future fics to come. Glad you liked the character even though you've never watched Digimon._

**Dante Tigerwolf:** _Ah, glad I pleased a fellow Leomon-fan as well (thanks for clearing up any confusion about him in the reviews). And Ogremon wouldn't be a Heartless necessarily, but Apocalymon? (smiles) Hint: watch the Digimon episode where the possessed Kari is explaining the origin of the Digidestined and the battle between the light and darkness in the first season and you might be able to guess why I'm bringing in Digimon in this series. And I hope to see you reading in the series to come because like I said before, Leomon has an important role to play in the series. And the Kingdom Hearts saga will be epic, to say the least (trust me, if you're a fan of Disney, you'll fall in love with the game and it's not the least bit childish). And glad to hear from a fellow Christian!_

**GothikStrawberry:** _Yeah, the title of this fanfic made me smile when I first thought of it too. And aw, thanks for the hug! Shows how much my reviewers love the story, so thankee much! And c'mon, did you really expect Wanda to not know what Pietro was doing with her coffee? Wanda is the only other person who can really stick it to her brother. And I'm incredibly glad to hear that you're a fan of "The Da Vinci Code" as well! I love all of Dan Brown's novels! And yeah, granted, we can give Ray a little credit for being anti-alien, but he's learning…slowly. Thanks for reviewing!_

**Adre:** _Aw, thanks for the hug-glomp! Makes me feel all appreciative! And yes, See-More accidentally looking at Blob like that certainly scarred his mind. I could almost feel sorry for him to, if I wasn't chuckling. Thanks for reviewing._

**Nikki-De-Kitty:** _Thanks, and continue reading for my series because a lot more shows will be crossing over with the Misfit-verse. I guarantee it. Hope to hear from you soon._

**Animation Lasi:** _Yep, and though it won't be for a long time, the Gargoyles will come in soon after the Kingdom Hearts crossover. And I'm glad you liked this story since I know you're a Teen Titans fan, but the Aqualad and Wavedancer feud I developed from the fact that Red Witch wrote about Althea's mother and how she went to Atlantis to marry another guy, but I twisted it so that it could link to Aqualad. And I'm glad you liked Shimmer, and I hope you write about her soon in your fic since her death was something I didn't particularly enjoy writing about._

**Theodore Hawkwood:** _Thanks, and I'm certainly glad this leading into the Heartless saga is getting good in your eyes, considering I know how much you like Kingdom Hearts. And yes, considering that in the prophecy that flesh would turn to stone, the Lavadome and the Dinosaucers would have been imprisoned during Trigon's Armageddon. And don't worry, the Dinosaucers will come in again soon considering that they still have to meet the X-Men (which will be awkward to say the least), and as for more Raptor/Compy interaction? You do realize that this will drive all the Dinosaucers to alcohol and aspirin and not just Itchy/Teryx, right?_

**L1701E:** _Thanks for the e-mails, and don't worry, you'll see more of your characters soon in the final battle with the Heartless._

**Doza:** _Glad I got your interest in the Misfit-verse, and yes, hope you'll stay tuned for the Charmed/Buffy/Misfit crossover that's coming. And I'll e-mail you sometime when I'm not so busy, but I'm glad you thoroughly enjoyed Red Witch's stories as well (she is a comedic genius)._

**Xenomorph666:** _Thanks, and I hope to read about your next crossover with the Misfits soon (though I'm pleased you're a Dinosaucers fan as well)._

**MCM:** _Thanks, and wow, another Stormwreck supporter? Bring on the champagne, we have a new convert! And yes, I know what Storm said in "Evolution XMJ" but considering the circumstances, I still stand strong and rationalized it in my author's profile already. And as for this series, nope, it won't change anything. Let's just say the Stormwreck movement will take a huge leap soon! Hee hee hee…_

**Demens Darkling:** _I'm glad you're enjoying this story! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you got the chapters that I sent you…_


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